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GRANDMA'S  HELPER. 


MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD; 


OR 


TEN  PHASES  OF  WOMAN'S  LIFE. 


HOW  TO  PROTECT  THE  HEALTH,  CONTRIBUTE  TO  THE  PHYSICAL 

AND  MENTAL  DEVELOPMENT,  AND  INCREASE 

THE  HAPPINESS  OF  WOMANKIND. 


JOHN    D.  WEST,  M.  D. 


LAW,  KING  &  LAW  PUBLISHING  HOUSE, 

CHICAGO; 

SAN  FRANCISCO,  CAI..;  PORTLAND,  ORE.  AUSTIN,  TEX.; 
LITTLE  ROCK,  ARK.;  DENVER,  COL. 

CHICAGO,  ILL.: 
WESTERN  PUBLISHING  HOUSE, 

1887. 


COPYRIGHTED  1886 

BY 
JOHN  D.  WEST,  M.  D. 


PREFACE. 


THERE  is  no  higher  study  for  womankind  than 
woman.  There  is  no  way  in  which  the  women  of 
to-day  can  so  well  or  surely  help  themselves  and 
those  about  them  and  confer  lasting  benefits  upon 
their  children  and  their  race  as  by  learning  to 
understand  their  own  delicate  organizations  and 
how  best  to  cherish  and  protect  them.  Mothers 
mold  the  characters  of  their  sons  and  daughters, 
by  their  early  training  or  by  want  of  it,  either  for 
good  or  for  evil.  Even  the  best  mothers,  either 
through  mistaken  delicacy  or  want  of  information, 
often  neglect  to  instruct  their  daughters  in  those 
matters  about  which  they  most  need  to  know.  The 
little  girl  realizes  that  she  is  not  a  boy;  she  does 
not  know  why.  She  changes  to  maidenhood  with- 
out realizing  the  great  purpose  which  Nature  is 
working  out,  and  often  comes  to  womanhood 
without  more  than  suspecting  the  grave  responsi- 
bility of  living  and  giving  life.  Her  children  die  in 
infancy  and  she  is  tempted  to  blame  Providence 
for  afflictions  which  it  might  have  been  within  her 
power  to  avert.  If  they  grow  to  mature  years  it 
may  be  with  a  weak  constitution  or  imperfect 
health,  which  had  their  cause  and  beginning  in  her 
own  lack  of  information  before  they  were  born. 

3 


4  PREFACE. 

It  may  be  that  they  are  afflicted  with  blemishes  or 
deformities  that  might  have  been  prevented,  but 
which  are  now  beyond  the  reach  of  simple  and 
effective  cure.  If  it  so  be  that  they  grow  up  to 
perfect  manhood  and  womanhood,  she  passes  on 
to  the  evening  of  life  secure  in  their  protection  and 
grateful  to  that  Divine  power  which  has  thus 
blessed  her  among  women. 

In  a  busy  practice  of  more  than  thirty  years  as 
a  family  physician,  I  have  been  frequently,  almost 
constantly,  impressed  with  the  fact  that  much  of  the 
pain  and  many  of  the  disappointments  and  failures 
of  life  might  be  avoided  if  mothers  were  better 
informed  both  as  to  themselves,  their  own  needs, 
and  those  of  their  children.  So  impressed,  and 
believing  that  I  can  render  no  better  service  to  my 
Creator  or  my  fellow-creatures,  I  have  endeavored 
to  set  down  in  the  following  pages  the  results  of 
my  own  study  and  observation,  in  the  hope  of 
securing  better  health  and  greater  happiness  to 
women  and  their  children,  by  instructing  them  fully 
as  to  the  nature  of  those  peculiarly  feminine  func- 
tions ;  the  requirements  of  their  organizations 
during  the  various  stages  of  development ;  by  teach- 
ing them  in  language  chaste  and  delicate,  but  plain 
and  unmistakable,  how  to  fulfill  the  duties  and 
avoid  the  dangers  of  maidenhood  and  mother- 
hood. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


THE  INFANT, 

What  It  Is  and  What  It  May  Become,  Its  Helplessness,  the  Embryo 
Man  or  Woman,  the  Copy  of  Its  Parents,  Inherits  Physical  Qualities  from 
Both  Parents,  It  May  Be  Improved  by  Training,  Correction  of  Deformities, 
Removal  of  Constitutional  Defects,  Intellectual  Keenness  and  Moral 
Rectitude  Developed — Hygiene  of  Infancy,  Importance  of  Knowing  the 
Laws  of  Health,  Necessity  for  Rigid  Enforcement,  Relation  Between  the 
Mind  and  the  Body,  Care  of  Infant  Should  Begin  at  Birth,  Why  the  New-born 
Child  Cries,  Temperature  of  the  Room,  Cleansing  the  New-born  Infant, 
Applying  "  the  Bandage,"  Dressing  the  Child — Baths  in  General,  Importance 
of  Cleanliness,  Dangers  of  too  Frequent  Bathing,  the  Use  of  Soap,  Tempera- 
ture of  the  Water,  the  Bath  Tub,  Proper  Time  for  Bathing,  Soothing  Effects 
of  Evening  Bath,  Cold  Water  Bath,  When  Allowable,  Dressing  After  the 
Bath — Clothing,  Regard  to  Season  and  Climate,  Should  Be  Soft  and  Warm, 
Should  not  Compress  the  Internal  Organs,  Allow  Free  Exercise  of  the  Limbs, 
Comfort  of  the  Child  to  Be  Considered,  the  Long  Dressing-robe,  Proper 
Material  to  Be  Used,  Body  Should  Be  Equally  Protected,  Protecting  the 
Lower  Limbs,  Folly  and  Dangers  of  Maternal  Vanity — Sleeping,  Necessity 
for  Great  Amount  of,  a  Separate  Cot,  Location  of  the  Cot,  Regularity  of, 
Importance  and  Necessity  of,  How  Secured,  Proper  Time  For,  the  Sleeping- 
room,  Exclusion  of  Light  and  Noise,  Sleeping  Potions,  Baneful  Effect  of 
Drugs,  Causes  of  Wakefulness,  Care  of  Sleeping-robes  and  Cot — Rocking  or 
Exercise,  Exercise  Essential  to  Health,  Why  Infants  are  Soothed  By,  the 
Effect  of  Habit,  Danger  of  too  Violent,  Open-air  Exercise,  Effect  of  Sudden 
Changes  of  Temperature — Feeding  or  Nursing  Infants,  When  to  Begin, 
the  First  Mother's  Milk,  Pernicious  Effects  of  Artificial  Purgatives,  the 
Natural  Laxative,  Proper  Cases  for  Artificial  Purging — Food  of  Infants, 
the  Natural  Provision,  the  Mother's  Milk  the  Best,  When  This  Should  Not 
Be  Given,  the  Best  Substitutes,  Quantity  and  Mode  of  Giving,  Frequency  of 
Nursing,  Dangers  of  Over-feeding,  Effects  of  Excessive  Nursing,  Regularity  ol^ 
Nursing  During  the  Night,  Care  of  the  Child  Dmring  the  Night,  Necessity  of 

5 


6  TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 

Rest  and  Sleep  for  the  Mother — The  Nursery,  Importance  of,  Arrangement, 
Situation  and  Management  of,  Importance  of  Light  and  Pure  Air,  Bright  and 
Cheerful  Outlook  Desirable,  Southern  Exposure  Preferable,  Beneficial  Effects 
of  Sunlight,  Deleterious  Effect  of  Imperfect  Sanitary  Conditions,  Dangers  of 
a  Vitiated  Atmosphere,  Equable  Temperature  Desirable,  Best  Manner  and 
Means  of  Heating,  Overheating  Should  Be  Avoided — Weaning,  Proper 
Time  to  Begin,  Health  of  the  Mother,  Robustness  and  Development  of  the 
Child,  Indications  of  Teething,  Dangers  of  Premature  and  of  Delayed  Wean- 
ing, Gradual  Process  of,  Nature,  Quality  and  Quantity  of  First  Artificial 
Food,  Dangers  of  too  Frequent  Feeding,  Growth  of  Appetite  to  Be  Regarded, 
Rich  and  Highly-seasoned  Diet  to  be  Avoided— Artificial  Nursing,  the 
Wet-nurse,  Care  in  Selection  of,  Should  Be  Strong  and  Healthy,  Physical 
Qualities  Desirable  in,  Temper  and  Disposition  Are  Important,  Dangers  of 
Feeding  Children,  Natural  Method  Should  Be  Imitated  in  Feeding  by  Hand, 
Care  of  the  Nursing-bottle,  Regularity  in  Using  the  Bottle,  Good  Milk  Should 
Be  Procured,  Gradual  Use  of  Other  Food — Teething,  Symptoms  of  Approach 
of,  Indications  of,  First  Stage,  the  Second  Stage,  the  Natural  Process,  Why 
Accompanied  by  Dangers,  Care  of  Child  During,  Open-air  Exercise,  Frequent 
Bathing,  Dieting,  the  First  Teeth,  First  Period  of  Teething,  Second  Dentition, 
Importance  of  the  Teeth,  Use  of  in  Mastication,  Contribute  Beauty  and 
Symmetry,  Aid  in  Articulation,  the  Care  of  the  Teeth,  Regular  Cleansing, 
Dangers  in  Using  Patent  Nostrums,  a  Good  Dentifrice — Diseases  of  Infancy, 
Causes  of,  Convulsions  and  Treatment  of,  Sore  Mouth,  Causes  and  Cure  of 
Costiveness,  Worms  and  Treatment  For,  Diphtheria,  Sore  Eyes,  Earache, 
Chafing,  Nose-bleed,  Urinary  Troubles,  Colds,  Croup,  Whooping-cough  and 
Its  Complications  and  Treatment,  Vaccination — Learning  to  Walk,  Time  to 
Begin,  Care  and  Patience  in 17  to  1 18 


THE  CHILD. 

General  Causes  of  Disease  Resulting  from  Errors  in  Diet,  the  Two 
Great  Offices  of  Food,  Amount  Required  Variable,  no  Infallible  Rule, 
Different  Kinds  Required,  the  Digestive  Operation,  the  Essential  Elements 
of  Food,  Preparation  for  Use,  Proper  Purpose  of  Food,  Meat  for  Children, 
When  to  Commence  Using  Meat,  Solid  and  Liquid  Food,  Methods  of 
Cooking  Meat,  Bread,  Different  Kinds  of  Flour,  the  Process  of  Baking  Wheat 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS.  7 

Bread,  Corn  Bread,  Puddings,  Potatoes,  Beneficial  Quantities  of  Vegetables, 
of  Fruits,  Functions  of  the  Stomach  as  Affected  by  Food,  Influence  of  the 
Mind  on  the  Digestive  Process,  Proper  Food  Regimen  for  School-girls, 
General  Causes  of  Disease  from  Diet,  Normal  Condition  of  the  System,  Study 
of  Physical  Laws,  Deleterious  Effect  of  Luxurious  Diet  and  Social  Dissipation, 
Comparative  Health  of  Rich  and  Poor  Children,  Errors  in  Dress  as  Causes  of 
Disease,  Effects  of  Improper  Clothing — Amusements,  Important  to  Physical 
Development,  to  Proper  Intellectual  Training,  Mistakes  of  Parents  with 
Regard  to,  Various  Kinds  of,  In-door  and  Out-door  Recreations,  Mental  and 
Physical  Exercise  Should  be  Considered  Equally,  Sound  Mind  Requires  a 
Sound  Body,  Exhilaration  of  Out-door  Games  —  Moral  Training,  Importance 
of  Good  Moral  Character,  Inheritance  of  Moral  Qualities,  Dawn  of  Moral 
Intelligence,  Evidences  of  the  Existence  of  Moral  Perception,  How  the  Moral 
Emotions  are  Reached,  Development  of  the  Internal  Emotions,  Duty  of 
Parents  to  Cultivate,  When  to  Commence  Moral  Education,  Evil  Effects  of 
Indulging  Whims  and  Caprices,  Dual  Process  of  Moral  Training,  the  Key 
to  Successful  Government  and  Training,  Commanding  Influence  of  Parents, 
Imitative  Disposition  of  Children,  Supreme  Faith  of  Children  in  Parents, 
Intuitive  Perception  of  Truth  and  Falsehood,  Necessity  of  Setting  Good 
Example  Before  Children,  Pernicious  Effects  of  Bad  Example,  Immoral 
Practices  Learned  from  Playmates  and  Nurses,  Means  of  Correcting  Evil 
Influences,  Conduct  of  Parents  Should  be  Exemplary,  Various  Causes  Which 
Influence  the  Child-mind,  Necessity  of  Constant  Watchfulness  of  Parents 
—  Dress,  its  Effect  Upon  the  Mind  and  Disposition  of  the  Child,  Mistakes 
of  Parents  with  Regard  to  Dress  of  Their  Children,  Primary  Object  of 
Clothing,  Adapted  to  the  Functional  Operations  of  the  Body,  Injurious 
Effects  of  Improperly  Constructed  Clothing,  Sensitiveness  of  Children  with 
Regard  to,  the  Influence  of  Fashion  on,  Its  Effect  Upon  the  Life  and 
Character  of  the  Child  —  Government  of  Childhood,  Parenthood  Involves 
Obligations,  Parents  are  Natural  Teachers  and  Rulers,  Necessity  of  Discipline, 
Evil  Results  of  Lack  of  Discipline,  Abortive  Discipline,  When  to  Commence 
Effects  of  Delay,  How  Long  to  Continue,  Undue  Severity  and  Unlimited 
Indulgence,  Authority  Tempered  with  Kindness,  Training  Should  Include 
Physical,  Mental  and  Moral  Nature,  the  Religious  Nature  of  the  Child,  When 
to  Commence  Religious  Training,  Proper  Methods  of  Conducting.  .119  to  174. 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


PUBERTY. 

Definition  of  Puberty,  What  It  Is,  Changes  Wrought  By,  The  Sign  of 
— The  Menses,  Evidence  of  Approach,  Duration  of,  Symptoms  of  First 
Menstruation,  Precautions  to  Be  Taken,  Age  at  Which  Menstruation  Begins, 
Effect  of  Race  and  Climate  on,  Menstruation  in  Tropical  Climates,  Influence 
of  Temperament  on,  Habits  of  Life  on,  Effects  of  the  Excitation  of  Certain 
Emotions,  Dangers  to  the  General  Health,  Influence  of  Constitutional  Tenden- 
cies, Care  of  the  Health  During,  Attention  to  Dieting,  Effect  of  Stimulants, 
Beneficial  Influences  of  Exercise,  Length  of  Interval  Between  Periods,  Varia- 
tions from  the  Rule,  Length  of  Menses,  Exceptional  Cases,  Office  of  the 
Menses  in  Procreation,  the  Ovaries,  Normal  Condition  of  Menstruation- 
Disorders  in  Menstruation,  Two  General  Causes  of  Functional  Disorder, 
Temperament  and  Menstruation,  Quantity  and  Quality  of  Food  Used,  How 
Rich  Living  Effects  Menstruation,  Effects  of  Breathing  Vitiated  Air,  of  Insuffi- 
cient Exercise,  of  Loss  of  Sleep — Amenorrhea,  What  It  Is,  the  Two  Principal 
Causes  of,  Symptoms  of  from  Constitutional  and  Accidental  Causes,  Local 
Symptoms,  External  Evidences  of  the  Gravity  of  the  Complaint  When  Neg- 
lected or  Improperly  Treated,  the  Hygienic  Treatment  of,  Medical  Treatment 
of  — Menorrhagia,  What  It  Is,  the  Three  Phases  of,  Variations  in  Menstrual 
Discharge  and  Causes  of,  Different  Kinds  of  Women  Liable  to,  the  General 
Causes  of,  Hygienic  Treatment  of,  Medical  Treatment  of — Dysmenorrhea, 
What  It  Is,  Nature  and  Importance  of  the  Complaint,  the  Symptoms  of,  the 
Five  Varieties  of,  Hygienic  Treatment  of,  Class  of  Women  Most  Subject  to  — 
Diseases  from  Derangement  of  Menses,  Chlorosis,  Nature  and  Causes 
of,  Symptoms,  Treatment  of,  Chorea,  When  First  Known,  Character  and  Symp- 
toms of,  Persons  Most  Subject  to,  the  Common  Evidences  of,  Treatment  of, 
Hysteria,  General  Ignorance  of,  Annoyance  of,  the  General  Causes  of,  Some 
Immediate  Causes  of,  Persons  Most  Liable  to  Attack,  Cases  Specified,  Other 
Diseases  Aggravated  by,  Some  Effects  Produced  by,  Remarkable  Peculiarities 
of,  Other  Complaints  Mistaken  for,  General  Symptoms  of,  Liability  of  Decep- 
tion in  Symptoms,  Peculiar  Cases  Enumerated,  Treatment  of,  Dangers  of 
Neglecting,  Reasons  Why  It  Is  Neglected,  the  Hygienic  Treatment,  General 
Exhaustion,  Symptoms  of,  Effects  of  Protracted,  Treatment  of,  Hygienic- 
Care 175  to  240 


TABLE    OF    CONTENTS.  9 


THE  MAIDEN. 

General  Remarks,  the  Untrammeled  Freedom  of  Childhood,  the  Mysteri- 
ous Changes  Wrought  in  Puberty,  the  Fading  Away  of  Childhood,  the  Dawn 
of  Womanhood,  the  Birth  of  New  Desires,  Hopes  and  Experiences,  the 
Mystery  of  Sex — Accomplishments,  Mistaken  Notion  of,  Naturalness  of, 
True  and  False,  Importance  and  Necessity  of,  Utility  Not  the  Sole  End  of 
Education,  Nature  and  Extent  of  True  and  Desirable,  Errors  in  Obtaining, 
the  Eminent  Desirableness  of — Engagements^When  to  Make,  the  Impor- 
tance of  in  Courtship,  Reasons  Which  Determine  the  Length  of,  Effect  of  on 
Courtship,  When  to  Be  Broken,  Physiological  Reasons  Against  Long — Love 
at  First  Sight,  the  Rule  of  Love,  Exceptions  to  the  Rule,  Importance  of 
Discriminating  Between  Love  and  Passion — Love,  What  It  Is,  Its  Origin  and 
Inspiration,  as  Defined  by  the  Greeks,  Passionate  Impulse  and  True  Love, 
Physical  and  Moral,  Involuntariness  of — Courtship,  Definition  of,  Blissfulness 
of,  Essential  Purpose  of,  A  Study  of  Suitableness,  Determines  the  Happiness 
or  Unhappiness  of  Marriage,  False  Views  of,  Unhappy  Results  of  False,  When 
Proper  to  Begin,  How  Long  to  Continue — How  to  Select  a  Husband, 
Importance  of  the  Question,  Points  to  Be  Considered,  Consanguinity,  Con- 
stitution, Health,  Race,  Temperament,  Education,  Habits — Qualifications 
of  a  Husband,  Filial  Love,  Kindness,  Purity,  Temperance,  Industry  and 
Frugality,  Business,  Not  Jealous,  Moral  and  Religious — Marriage,  Proper 
Time  of  the  Year,  the  Time  of  the  Month  for — The  Wedding,  What  Is 
Included  in  the  Term,  the  Bride's  Relations  to,  Proper  Place  for,  Labor 
Entailed  on  the  Bride,  Invitation  of  Guests,  Trials  of  the  Ceremony,  the  Wed- 
ding Feast,  the  Bridal  Tour,  the  Best  Way  to  Spend  the  Honeymoon — The 
Marriage  Contract,  Importance  of,  the  Divine  Institution  of  Marriage, 
Effect  of  Marriage  on  Longevity — Divorce,  When  and  Why  Allowed,  the 
Growing  Frequency  of,  When  Proper — Subsequent  Marriage,  the  Sad  Lot  of 
Widowhood,  Reasons  for  a  Second  Marriage,  the  Affection  of  Second  Mar- 
riages— Sacredness  of  Marriage,  Viewed  as  a  Divine  Institution,  Considered 
as  a  Social  Compact,  Mutual  Absorption  in  Marriage,  Claims  Which  Each 
Holds  Upon  the  Other,  Mutual  Necessity  of  Faith  and  Faithfulness — The 
New  Home,  the  Wedding  Festivities  Ended,  Setting  Up  the  New  Home, 
the  Characteristics  of  a  Happy  Home,  the  Home  Instinct,  the  Part  of  the 
Wife  in  the  Home,  the  Pleasures  of  Home-making,  the  Happy 
Qneen 241  to  330 


IO  TABLE   OF    CONTENTS. 


THE  WIFE. 

The  New  Epoch,  Eager  Anticipations,  the  Seriousness  of  the  Step,  Giv- 
ing up  the  Old  Life,  the  Unrevealed  Future,  New  Associations  and  Experiences, 
New  Friends  and  Strange  Scenes,  Relations  of  Birth  Superseded  by  Those  of 
Choice,  the  Blessedness  of  a  Happy  Choice — The  Marriage  Chamber,  Loca- 
tion of  In  the  Home,  Furniture  and  Arrangements  of,  Ventilation  and  Sanitary 
Appointments,  First  Occupation  of — The  Marriage  Bed,  Nature's  Sweet 
Restorer,  Constituents  of  a  Good,  Proper  Care  of,  Sanitary  Objection  to  Cer- 
tain Kinds  of — Marital  Relations  and  Privileges,  Nature  of  the  Relation 
of  Husband  aud  Wife,  Naturalness  and  Necessity  of  Such  Relation,  Changes 
Wrought  in  Maiden  by,  Embarrassment  of  New  Wife,  Unwarranted  Test  of 
Purity,  Congeniality  and  Exclusiveness,  Connubial  Faithfulness — Proper  and 
Improper  Sexual  Indulgence,  Rights  and  Duties  of  the  Marital  State,  the 
Order  of  Life-Production,  Baneful  Effects  of  Improper  Indulgence,  the  Rule 
Among  the  Lower  Animals,  Physiological  Necessity  of  Indulgence,  Various 
Theories  Concerning  the  Regulation  of,  Continence  Beneficial,  Creative  Power 
of  Woman,  Her  Rights  in  the  Conjugal  Relation — Physical  and  Moral 
Effects  of  Excess,  the  Common  Experience,  the  Ignorance  of  the  New  Wife, 
Modesty  and  Prudery,  False  Notions  of  True  Love,  the  True  Conception,  Vic- 
tims of  Legalized  Lust — Painful  Congress,  an  Abnormal  Condition,  Causes 
Which  Produce,  Remedies  for— Offspring,  the  Prime  Purpose  of  Marriage, 
Essential  to  a  Happy  Home,  the  Expectation  of,  the  Blessings  of,  Depth  of 
Affection  for — Should  Offspring  Be  Limited  ?  Importance  of  the  Question, 
Inferences  from  Nature,  Subsidiary  Questions,  Facts  to  Be  Considered  Regard- 
ing, the  Proper  Conclusion,  Objections  to,  Difficulties  Surrounding  the  Subject, 
Misconceptions  of  Divine  Teachings,  Evil  Results  from  Immoderate  Child- 
Bearing—Extent  to  Which  Offspring  Should  Be  Limited,  No  General 
Rule,  Physiological  Considerations  Involved,  Law  of  Limitation  in  Certain 
Cases,  Constitutional  Tendencies  Considered  In,  Over-fecundity,  Good  and 
Bad  Results  of  Child-bearing — Proper  Methods  of  Limiting  Offspring, 
Delicacy  of  the  Question,  False  Notions  Regarding,  Justification  in  Using, 
Injustice  and  Injury  in  Neglecting,  the  Duty  of  Self-Restraint,  Natural  Pro- 
visions for — Improper  Methods,  Moral  and  Physiological  Aspects  of,  Menace 
to  Conjugal  Peace  and  Happiness,  Fceticide,  Abortion,  Alarming  Prevalence 
of,  Infamous  Criminality  of,  Cases  from  Real  Life  Related,  Common  Methods 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS.  II 

* 
of  Abortion  Used,   Dangers  of — Barrenness,  Deplorable  Condition,  Causes 

Which   Tend  to  Produce,   Temporary  and   Permanent,  Means  for   Removal 
of 331  10408 


MATERNITY. 

Pregnancy,  Process  of  Conception  Explained,  Necessary  Conditions  to, 
Changes  of  the  Uterus  Which  Follow,  First  Symptoms  of,  General  Indications 
Enumerated  and  Explained,  the  Indigestion  of,  Constipation  and  Diarrhea, 
Changes  in  the  Breasts  During,  Appearance  of  the  Abdomen,  Quick- 
ening, Beating  of  the  Fatal  Heart,  General  Appearance  —  Discom- 
forts of  Pregnancy,  Heartburn,  the  Cause  and  Cure,  Toothache, 
Affections  of  the  Mind,  Nervous  Affections — Duration  of  Pregnancy,  the 
Common  Period,  Some  Remarkable  Exceptions  Noted,  Earlier  and  Later 
Pregnancies — The  Unborn  Child,  What  May  Be  Known  of  It,  Determination 
of  Its  Sex,  Singular  Cases  Related,  the  Production  of  Sex  at  Will — Twins,  An 
Unnatural  Production,  Persons  Most  Liable  to  Bear,  Causes  Which  Lead  to 
the  Bearing  of — Second  Pregnancies,  Explanation  of  Meaning,  Difficulties 
in  Determining,  Some  Remarkable  Cases  Recited,  the  Moral  Aspects  of  the 
Question,  Sex  and  Twins  Before  Birth — Hygiene  of  Pregnancy,  No  Special 
Change  in  Diet  Required,  Evil  Effects  of  Unwise  Gossips  on  the  Mother  and 
Child,  Imprudence  of  Anxiety,  the  Best  Friends  and  Counselors,  Pleasant 
Surroundings,  Proper  and  Improper  Food,  Quantity  and  Manner  of  Wearing 
Clothing,  Amount  and  Nature  of  Exercise,  Ventilation  of  the  Dwelling-rooms, 
Care  of  the  Nipples,  the  Sleeping-room,  Company  Desirable  and  Undesirable, 
the  Gratification  of  Fancies — Inheritance,  Different  Kinds  of — Misfortunes 
to  the  Child  During  Pregnancy,  Influence  of  the  Mother  on  the  Unborn 
Child,  Necessity  for  Care  and  Economy  of  Vital  Forces,  Effect  of  Mental 
Impressions,  Unnatural  Developments,  Curious  Cases  Related,  Birthmarks 
Explained — Miscarriage,  When  Most  Likely  to  Occur,  How  Early  a  Fretus 
May  Live,  Causes  of  Miscarriage,  General  Symptoms  of,  Preventive  Treat- 
ment— Relation  of  Husband  and  Wife  During  Pregnancy,  Various  Opin- 
ions Held  Concerning,  the  Best  and  Safest  Plan,  Difficulties  in  Adhering 
to .409  10476 


12  TABLE    OF    CONTENTS. 


CONFINEMENT. 

Preparation  For  Confinement,  Symptoms  of  Approach,  The  Bed- 
Chamber,  Location  of,  The  Bed,  Arrangement  of,  Temporary  Dressing  of  the 
Bed,  Attendants-.  Actual  Labor,  Symptoms  of  the  Approach  of,  First  Pains 
of,  "  A  Sick  Labor,"  Pains  of  First  Stage,  Nature  of,  Character  of  Labor  in 
Second  Stage,  "A  Dry  Birth,"  the  Third  Stage  of  Labor,  Expulsion  of  the 
Placenta,  Methods  of  Removing  the  Placenta  —  Attention  to  Be  Given 
Mother  and  Child,  Food  and  Stimulants  During  First  Stage,  Aids  in 
Delivery,  Danger  from  Hemorrhages  and  Convulsions,  Tying  and  Cutting  the 
Navel  Cord,  Wrappings  for  the  New-born  Infant,  Application  of  the  Binder — 
Hemorrhages,  Accidental,  In  Placenta  Pr^via,  Before  Delivery.  Premonitions 
of  Hemorrhage  After  Delivery,  Treatment  of,  Treatment  of  Placenta  Pravia — 
Version,  Conditions  Making  it  Necessary,  Difficult  in  Absence  of  Liquor 
Amnii,  Method  of  Performing 477  to  500 


THE  MOTHER. 

Her  Responsibility,  Feelings  of  the  New-made  Mother,  Care  of  the 
Mother  After  Child-birth,  Darkening  the  Room,  Attendance,  Flooding  and 
Convulsions  Consequences  of  Child-birth — Putting  the  Child  to  Breast, 
First  Effects  of  on  the  Child,  Advantages  of  to  the  Mother,  Device  for  Devel- 
oping the  Nipples,  Care  of  the  Breasts  During  Pregnancy — Child-birth,  How- 
to  Care  for  the  Mother  After,  Cleanliness  Essential,  Avoid  Erect  Position, 
Changing  the  Clothing  of  the  Mother,  Preparation  to  Leave  the  Bed,  Proper 
Time  for,  Laxative  for  Moving  the  Bowels,  Abundant  Supply  of  Fresh  Air  for 
the  Lying-in  Chamber,  the  Evil  Effects  of  Imperfect  Ventilation,  an  Illustra- 
tion of,  Covering  of  theBed,  Should  Combine  Lightness,  Warmth  and  Porosity, 
How  to  Change  the  Linen,  Dressing  the  Mother's  Hair,  How  and  When  it 
Should  Be  Done,  Food — Directions  for  Nursing,  Benefits  of  Mother  Nur- 
sing Her  Own  Child,  Circumstances  Rendering  It  Impossible  or  Unadvisable, 
Regularity  in  Nursing,  How  to  Prevent  or  Overcome  Deformities,  Influence 
of  Diet  on  the  Mother's  Milk,  Influence  of  Menstruation,  Influence  of  the 
Mind — The  Wet-nurse,  Qualifications  of  a  Good  Nurse,  Wet-nursing,  the 
Necessity  of,  Selection  of  the  Wet-nurse — Excessive  Lactation,  How  to  Pre- 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS.  13 

rent,  )  Directions  for  Arresting  the  Secretion  of  Milk,  Pain  of  the  Breasts  from 
Over-distention,  Remedy  for — Deficient  Lactation,  Causes  of,  How  to  Over- 
come Suppression  of  Milk,  by  Suction,  by  Topical  Applications,  by  Electricity — 
The  Relation  of  Husband  and  Nursing  Wife,  Should  Continence  Be 
Observed  During  Period  of  Lactation  ? 501  to  534 


MATURE   WOMANHOOD. 

The  "  Climacteric  Period,"  Change  of  Life  Defined,  Cessation  of  a 
Physical  Function,  Reproductive  Period  of  Woman's  Life,  Length  of,  Early 
Cessation  of  Menses,  Incidents  Attending  Change  of  Life,  Tendency  to  Certain 
Changes  and  Diseases,  Much  Physical  and  Mental  Disturbance,  Preparation 
for  the  Approaching  Change,  the  Food,  What  It  Should  Consist  of,  Importance 
of  Rest,  Close  Observation  of  the  Laws  of  Hygiene  Necessary,  Placidity  of 
Mind,  Cessation  of  Menses  Physiologically  Considered,  Result  of  Weil- 
Defined  Natural  Laws,  Suffering  Caused  by  Disobeying  Laws  of  Health 
—  Death  of  the  Husband,  Influence  of  upon  the  Wife,  Desolation  of  the 
Widow,  Health  of  Widows  as  Compared  to  Others,  Beneficial  Effects  of 
Marriage  on  Many  Women 535  to  546 


CELIBACY. 

Advantages  and  Disadvantages,  "  It  Is  Not  Good  for  Man  to  Be 
Alone,"  Paul  the  First  Celibate,  Regarded  by  Him  from  Religious  Standpoint, 
the  Law  of  Nature  on  the  Subject,  Marriage  as  a  Factor  in  Human  Life, 
Health  of  Married  Women  Compared  to  Unmarried,  Testimony  of  Physicians 
and  Social  Statisticians,  Certain  Class  of  Ailments  Cured  by  Marriage,  Child- 
Bearing  the  End  of  Woman's  Being,  Exception  to  these  General  Rules  — 
Advantages  of  Single  Life,  Free  from  Domestic  Cares,  Time  for  Cultiva- 
tion of  the  Mind,  Free  from  Pains  and  Dangers  Peculiar  to  Maternity,  Many 
Occupations  Now  Open  to  Women,  Social  Advantages  of  the  Unmarried — 
Disadvantages  of  Single  Life,  Effects  of  upon  the  Disposition,  Misses 
the  Completeness  of  Life,  the  Domestic  Happiness  of  the  Wife,  the  Delight 
of  Having  a  Home,  Marriage  and  Maternity  the  Better  Way 547  to  553 


14  TABLE   OF   CONTENTS. 


DISEASES  OF  WOMEN. 

General  Remarks  on,  Object  of  This  Chapter,  Aid  in  Determining 
Complaints  Peculiar  to  Women,  Diseases  of  Pregnancy  Period  Unnatural  and 
Unnecessary  —  Definition  of  Disease,  Health  Denned,  Disease  a  Deviation 
from  the  Condition  of  Health,  Number  of  Diseases — Principal  Causes  of 
Disease,  Predisposing  Cause  "  Denned,  Disease  Can  Be  Avoided  if  Predis- 
posing Cause  Be  Known,  Causes  of  Disease  are  Various,  Atmospherical  Causes, 
'  Bad  Quality  of  Food,  Excess  in  Eating,  Intemperance  in  Drinking,  Influence 
o.'  Certain  Vocations,  Excessive  Indulgence  in  Sleep,  Intellectual  Toil  — 
Various  Kinds  of  Pulse,  Dicrotic,  Filiform,  Gaseous,  Hard,  Inter- 
mittent, Jerking,  Quick,  Small,  Tense,  Wiry — Morning  Sickness  and 
Vomiting,  Causes  of,  Symptoms  of,  Treatment  of —  Pains  in  the 
Bowels,  Result  from  Two  Causes,  Remedies  to  Be  Administered —  Constipa- 
tion, Cause  of  Other  Disorders,  Causes  of  Constipation,  Treatment  of, 
Active  Purgatives  Injurious,  the  Dietetical  Method,  the  Medicinal  Means, 
an  Important  Rule,  Mechanical  Means,  Treatment  of  Constipation  by  the 
Swedish  Movement  Cure,  Description  of —  Diarrhea,  One  Form  of  Caused  by 
Mental  Emotions,  Treatment  of,  Other  Causes,  Food  to  Use  and  Food  to 
Avoid  During  —  Hemorrhoids  or  Piles,  Description  of  Symptoms,  Cause  of 
Piles,  The  Prophylactic  Treatment  of,  Proper  Course  of  Diet,  Medicinal  Treat- 
ment of — Varicose  or  Enlarged  Veins,  Cause  of,  Different  Methods  for 
Treatment  of — Wakefulness  or  Insomnia,  A  Nervous  Affection,  Two 
Classes  of  Treatment  for,  First  Soothe  Nervous  System,  Second  Diminish  the 
Amount  of  Blood  in  the  Brain,  Attention  to  Diet,  Physical  Exercise,  Warm 
Baths,  Medical  Treatment — After-pains  in  Child-birth,  Three  Varieties  of, 
Symptoms  of,  Treatment  of — Lochia  or  Vaginal  Discharges,  The  Nature 
of,  Importance  of  Cleanliness  During,  Treatment  of — Phlegmasia  Dolens 
or  Milk-Leg,  Nature  of  the  Disease,  Treatment  of — Puerperal  Mania  or 
Insanity,  Three  Special  Divisions:  (i)  Insanity  of  Pregnancy,  Symptoms 
of,  Kleptomania  a  Characteristic,  Incurable  Until  After  Delivery,  (2)  Puerperal 
Insanity  (proper),  Symptoms  and  Causes  of,  Duration  of  the  Disease,  Requires 
the  Most  Skillful  Treatment,  (3)  Insanity  of  Lactation,  Nature  of  the  Disease, 
Treatment  for  Puerperal  Mania — Puerperal  Convulsions,  Serious  Nature  of, 
Premonitory  Symptoms  of,  Symptoms  of  the  Attack,  Treatment  of,  Bleeding, 
Medicinal  Means,  Inward  Fevers  (Puerperal  Peritonitis,  etc.),  Four  Principal 


TABLE   OF   CONTENTS.  1$ 

Varieties  of,  Symptoms  of  Each,  Conditions  Productive  of  this  Disease,  Course 
of  Treatment  for — Leucorrhea  or  "Whites,"  Symptoms  and  Causes  of, 
Acute  or  Chronic,  Nature  of  Each,  Treatment  of — Milk  Fever  and  Sore 
Breasts,  Nature  of,  Treatment  for — Diseases  of  the  Vulva,  Inflammation, 
Method  of  Treatment  for — Follicular  Inflammation  of  the  Vulva,  Cause 
and  Treatment  of — Pruritis  of  the  Genitals,  Characteristics  of,  Medicinal 
Treatment  for — Eczema,  Acute  and  Chronic  Forms,  Symptoms  of,  Treat- 
ment— Inflammation  of  the  Womb,  Acute  and  Chronic  Forms,  Description 
of  Symptoms  and  Treatment  of  Each — General  Disorders  of  the  Uterus, 
Various  Theories  Concerning — Displacement  of  the  Womb,  Causes  Pro- 
during  Displacement,  Various  Kinds  of,  (i)  Prolapsus  Described,  (2)  Antiver- 
sion  Described,  (3)  Retroversion  Described,  General  Treatment  for  Dis- 
placements, Services  of  Physician  Required — Diseases  of  the  Ovaries,  Variety 
of,  Atrophy  Described,  Hypertrophy  Described,  Displacement  of  the  Ovaries, 
Local  Symptoms  of,  General  Symptoms  of,  Nutrition,  Exercise  and  Baths  as 
Treatment  for,  Inflammation  of  the  Ovaries,  Symptoms  and  Treatment  of — 
Nervous  Exhaustion,  Speculation  With  Regard  to,  Various  Symptoms  and 
Causes  of,  Organs  Affected,  Various  Modes  of  Treatment  for 553  to  692 


THE  INFANT. 


What  It  is,  and  What  It  May  Become. 

THE  helpless  little  being,  ushered  into  the  world  in.  a 
burst  of  pain,  is  a  bundle  of  possibilities.  At  present  it 
has  life  and  the  instinct  of  perpetual  life.  Beyond  this  it 
is  entirely  helpless.  Not  infrequently  the  machinery  of 
life  must  be  started  by  others.  For  days  and  weeks  and 
.months,  the  working  of  the  delicate  mechanism  by  which 
life  is  maintained  and  developed  must  be  watched  unceas- 
ingly. Obstructions  must  be  removed,  developing  activi- 
ties must  be  aided,  and  functional  operations  must1  be 
stimulated.  At  maturity  the  most  beautiful  and  the  most 
perfect  of  all  the  animal  creation,  at  birth  the  most  help- 
less, its  helplessness  is  its  strong  defense. 

This  little  wailing  creature  is  the  romping  girl,  the 
amiable  maiden,  the  affectionate  mother,  the  noble 
woman,  in  embryo.  There  is  in  the  little  babe  all  that  is 
to  be  found  in  the  mature  woman.  Growth  and  develop- 
ment add  no  original  organs.  Nothing  is  created  by 
growth.  Nothing  is  added  to  what  was  possessed  at 
birth.  The  little  limbs  grow  stronger,  larger,  and  more 
shapely.  The  delicate  organs  will  perform  their  various 
functions  with  greater  certainty  and  with  better  results, 

17 


1 8  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD 

the  different  parts  of  the  physical  organism  will  develop 
into  a  more  perfect  harmony  of  operation  and  adaptation  to 
designed  ends,  but  they  are  all  present  in  the  new-born 
babe.  Because  the  babe  is  possessed  of  the  organs  of  the 
mature  man  or  woman,  and  because  the  future  harmonious 
activity  of  the  organs  depends  upon  the  care  and  culture 
bestowed  upon  them  —  because  of  these  things  the  infant 
is  an  object  of  importance  and  solicitude.  Even  where 
physical  humanity  is  developed  to  its  full,  robust,  hardy 
completeness,  many  of  the  parts  of  the  machinery  are  still 
delicate  and  sensitive.  They  are  easily  obstructed,  easily 
destroyed.  This  is  true  of  the  organs  of  sight,  of  hearing, 
of  circulation,  and  true  of  many  others.  Much  more  deli- 
cate are  these  organs  in  the  immaturity  of  infancy.  Con- 
sequently, much  more  vigilance  and  care  are  necessary. 

The  infant  is,  then,  the  embryo  man  or  woman.  It  is 
more  ;  it  is  its  own  parents'  child.  To  a  certain  extent 
the  child  is  what  the  parents,  and  especially  the  mother, 
have  made.  It  is  a  reproduction  of  themselves.  It  will 
possess  their  physical  and  intellectual  traits  and  their 
moral  bent.  It  has  often  been  true,  perhaps  will  often  be 
again,  that  the  health  and  destiny  of  a  man  or  woman  was 
determined  in  the  mother's  womb.  It  came  into  inde- 
pendent existence  handicapped  with  a  physical  or  mental 
deformity  for  which  the  mother  was  responsible  during 
gestation. 

Suffice  it  to  say  now,  that  when  the  child  is  born  a 
complete  human  being,  it  will  possess  largely  the  same 
physical  characteristics  which  marked  one  or  both  parents. 


WHAT   IT   IS,    AND    WHAT   IT   MAY   BECOME.  19 

This  latter  fact  is  a  guide  to  parents  in  the  care  of  their 
offspring  in  infancy  and  before  they  are  able  to  know  from 
experience  the  peculiar  traits  of  their  children.  Knowing 
themselves,  their  weaknesses  and  deficiencies,  they  can 
assume  that  they  will  reappear  in  their  children.  It  is  a 
safe  assumption  on  which  to  proceed  at  first.  Children 
do  inherit  diseases,  and  they  generally  inherit  a  predispo- 
sition to  the  complaints  with  which  their  immediate  pro- 
genitors are  afflicted.  This  is  one  source  from  which 
children  draw  the  evils  which  inhere  in  their  organisms  at 
birth.  They  also  run  the  gauntlet  of  another  class  of 
evils,  which  are  the  result  of  forces  brought  to  bear  by  the 
parents  either  at  the  time  of  conception  or  during  the 
period  of  gestation. 

The  infant  may  become  a  child,  altogether  different 
from  what  the  promise  of  its  birth  indicated.  Deformities 
can  be  corrected,  evils  can  be  eradicated,  diseases  can  be 
healed.  Intelligent  application  of  the  laws  of  hygiene, 
thorough  application  of  the  skill  of  medical  science,  and 
assiduous,  unwearying  vigilance,  can  almost  work  miracles. 
The  crooked  can  be  made  straight,  the  lame  can  be  made 
to  walk,  and  the  blind  can  be  made  to  see.  Hereditary 
predispositions  can  be  overcome.  Imperfectly  developed 
organs  can  be  drawn  out  into  symmetry  and  health. 
Some  evils  cannot  be  removed,  but  many  faults  of  the 
physical  constitution  can  be  corrected. 

The  intellect  and  moral  nature  of  the  infant  depend  to 
some  extent  upon  the  perfect  action  of  its  physical  organs. 
Health  is  a  great  moral  agent ;  a  diseased  body  and 


2O  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

brain  are  ill  adapted  to  the  proper  apprehension  and 
segregation  of  the  principles  of  truth.  As  the  child  first 
sees  and  apprehends,  so  will  be  the  bent  of  after-informa- 
tion. Intellects  have  been  warped,  the  moral  nature 
dwarfed,  and  the  whole  emotional  nature  disordered  by 
bad  digestion  and  impaired  secretions.  The  possibilities 
bound  up  in  the  little  infant  are  great  and  far-reaching. 
They  determine  in  their  development  what  the  life  here 
and  hereafter  shall  be.  From  the  time  of  its  independent 
existence,  there  opens  up  before  it  a  life  of  happiness  or 
misery,  of  blessing  or  cursing,  of  good  or  evil.  On, 
over  and  beyond,  there  is  an  eternity  of  bliss  or  wretch- 
edness. The  infant  has  a  body  to  live  and  a  soul  to  be 
saved. 

The    Hygiene   of   Infancy. 

At  no  period  in  the  entire  course  of  life  is  there  so 
great  a  demand  for  an  intelligent  and  rigid  application  of 
the  principles  of  hygiene  as  in  infancy.  A  number  of 
factors  conspire  to  bring  about  this  necessity  :  The 
physical  economy  is  exceedingly  delicate  ;  the  infant 
being  is  utterly  helpless,  both  to  aid  and  protect  itself 
and  to  make  known  its  feelings  and  needs  to  others  ;  the 
sensitiveness  of  its  organism  renders  it  very  susceptible 
to  the  influences  which  invest  it,  and  which  are  potent 
for  its  well-being  or  its  injury,  both  at  the  time  and  in 
all  subsequent  life.  Upon  the  knowledge  of  the  laws  of 
health  and  life  possessed  by  the  mother  or  nurse  will 
depend  the  future  of  the  object  of  their  care. 


THE  HYGIENE  OF  INFANCY.  21 

The  proposition  laid  down  cannot  be  too  strenuously 
pressed.  Attention  or  neglect  of  the  child  in  its  earlier 
years  has  a  far-reaching  effect.  So  intimate,  intricate  and 
mysterious  is  the  connection  between  the  material  and 
spiritual  that  the  care  of  the  material,  at  this  period  of 
existence,  conditions  largely  the  intellectual  and  moral 
bent  and  expansion  of  the  adult.  A  sound  mind  pre- 
sumes a  sound  body  ;  moral  perception,  delicacy  and 
completeness  co-exist  with  intellectual  breadth,  depth  and 
clearness.  The  three  elements  which  enter  into  the  com- 
position of  a  human  being  —  body,  mind  and  soul  —  are 
so  intricately  interwoven  that  they  mutually  influence 
each  other.  Matter  influences  mind,  and  mind  acts  on 
matter,  each  according  to  its  own  laws.  To  have,  then, 
an  adult  well-equipped  for.  fulfilling  the  ends  of  being, 
possessing  a  fully-developed  and  sound  body,  an  intelli- 
gence keen  and  bright,  a  moral  nature  sensitive  and 
undwarfed,  it  is  imperative  that  the  infant  receive  the 
fullest  benefit  which  hygienic  treatment  can  confer. 

Following  the  order  laid  down  in  this  work,  and 
which  is  also  both  the  natural  and  the  logical  order,  it  is 
proper  to  commence  with  the  birth  of  the  child.  It  is 
then  that  it  begins  its  dependent  existence.  The  sudden 
transition  of  the  new-born  babe  from  the  uniformly  high 
temperature  of  its  mother's  womb  to  the  external  air,  is  a 
great  change.  The  differences  in  this  external  tempera- 
ture are  great,  even  in  the  warmest  months,  and  in  a 
room  heated  to  the  highest  point  of  comfort  and  endur- 
ance. The  effect  upon  the  infant  is  so  great  that  instinct- 
ively it  cries  aloud. 


22  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

Manifestly,  then,  the  first  duty  of  the  nurse  should 
look  toward  restoring  the  babe,  as  quickly  as  possible,  to 
a  temperature  similar  to  that  to  which  it  was  accustomed. 
This  may  be  done  readily  by  enveloping  it  in  a  wrapping 
of  soft  flannel,  previously  warmed,  or  by  placing  it  in 
water  heated  to  the  temperature  of  the  human  body  — 
that  is,  about  96  °  or  98  °  .  If  the  infant  be  vigorous 
and  its  breathing  free  and  regular,  the  process  of  thor- 
oughly cleansing  the  surface  of  its  body  may  be  com- 
menced at  once.  The  object  of  this  ablution  is  to  remove 
from  the  skin  everything  that  would  in  any  way  impede 
or  interfere  with  its  proper  and  healthy  action.  Not 
infrequently  the  new-born  child  is  found  covered  with 
an  unctuous  mucous,  or  white  tenacious  coating.  This 
served  a  natural  and  necessary  purpose  in  protecting  the 
sensitive  surface  of  the  body  while  it  remained  in  its 
mother's  womb  ;  now  such  covering  is  not  only  unneces- 
sary, but  positively  injurious.  It  acts  as  a  decided 
irritant,  and  interferes  with  the  proper  capillary  action. 
This  mucous  covering  must  be  removed  entirely.  To 
accomplish  this  without  injury  to  the  babe  will  often  tax 
the  skill  as  well  as  the  patience  of  the  attendant.  The 
easiest  and  safest  plan  is  to  first  thoroughly  but  tenderly 
lubricate  the  body  with  fresh  lard,  unsalted  butter,  or 
olive  oil.  A  piece  of  soft  flannel  or  sponge  can  be  used 
in  this  operation.  This  will  so  loosen  the  covering  that 
its  removal  becomes  comparatively  easy. 

Care  must  be  taken  that  this  cleansing  extend  to  the 
entire  body,  especially  to  those  parts  of  the  skin  which 


THE   HYGIENE   OF   INFANCY  .  2$ 

cover  the  joints,  groins,  ears,  neck,  and  the  irregular  parts 
of  the  body  generally.  The  water  used  in  the  final  act  of 
cleansing  should  be  pure  and  milk-warm.  Especial  care 
is  needed  in  washing  the  eye-lids.  It  has  often  happened 
that  troublesome  and  serious  inflammation  of  the  eyes 
have  resulted  from  allowing  impure  water  to  enter  the  eye 
during  this  cleansing.  The  eyes  should  also  be  protected 
from  the  direct  rays  of  any  strong  light,  natural  or  arti- 
ficial. The  eyes  attended  to,  the  entire  body  can  then  be 
cleansed  with  the  same  water,  using  with  it  a  little  castile 
soap.  With  a  soft  napkin,  the  body  should  be  dried 
thoroughly,  and  the  rubbing  process  be  continued  until  a 
gentle  glow  is  excited  over  the  whole  surface.  This  done, 
let  everything  that  is  wet  or  damp  be  removed  from  about 
the  child  ;  place  it  upon  a  soft,  warm  blanket,  and  see  that 
the  temperature  of  the  room  is  comfortable  and  free  from 
air-draughts.  The  child  should  not  be  placed  too  near  a 
hot  fire. 

The  infant,  being  now  washed  and  dried,  the  next  step 
is  the  application  of  "  the  bandage."  This  bandage 
should  consist  of  fine  flannel,  merino  or  some  similar 
material.  It  should  be  five  or  six  inches  wide,  and  long 
enough  to  go,  at  least,  one  and  one-fourth  times  around 
the  body.  Before  the  bandage  or  roller  is  applied,  let  a 
piece  of  old  muslin  be  prepared.  It  should  be  three  or 
four  inches  wide  and  eight  or  ten  inches  long.  Fold  it 
midway,  and  two  or  three  inches  from  the  folded  end  cut 
a  small  hole,  large  enough  to  receive  the  navel-cord.  Pass 
the  cord  through  the  opening  made,  wrap  around  it  a 


24  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

small  piece  of  old  muslin,  and  lay  it  down  in  the  direction 
of  the  long  end  of  the  compress.  Fold  the  muslin  back 
over  the  cord,  holding  all  in  proper  position  with  the  palm 
of  the  hand  until  the  bandage  is  adjusted.  This  bandage 
may  be  fastened  with  pins  ;  but  it  is  more  desirable  that  it 
be  stitched  with  a  needle  and  thread.  If  the  latter  fasten- 
ing be  employed,  commence  to  sew  from  the  lower  edge, 
drawing  the  bandage  fairly  close  to  the  body,  so  that  it 
will  fit  neatly  ;  it  should  not  be  drawn  so  closely  over  the 
stomach.  If  pins  be  used,  care  should  be  taken  that  the 
points  be  not  left  in  a  position  where  they  may  prick  the 
child.  The  diaper  should  next  be  applied,  in  the  inside 
of  which  a  couple  of  folds  of  old,  soft  muslin  may  be 
placed.  The  latter  will  thus  receive  the  meconium,  or 
contents  of  the  bowels,  and  can  be  removed  and  burned, 
thus  saving  the  trouble  of  washing. 

Having  proceeded  thus  far  in  the  care  of  the  child,  it 
becomes  a  matter  of  judgment  regarding  the  next  step. 
If  it  continues  vigorous,  the  process  of  dressing  may  be 
continued.  If,  on  the  other  hand,  it  shows  symptoms  of 
weariness  or  exhaustion,  it  should  be  wrapped  loosely  in 
flannels  and  allowed  to  sleep.  This  sleep  will  restore  its 
strength.  If  it  be  consigned  to  sleep,  great  care  should  be 
given  to  the  temperature,  draughts  and  the  coverings. 
There  must  be  sufficient  of  the  last  to  insure  a  proper 
degree  of  heat,  but  not  enough  to  impede  breathing  and 
the  free  action  of  the  organs. 


BATHS    IN   GENERAL.  2$ 

Baths  in  General. 

What  has  hitherto  been  said  regarding  the  bathing  of 
the  child  has  been  with  reference  to  the  first  cleansing 
subsequent  to  birth.  The  subject  is  an  all-important  one 
to  the  mother  in  caring  for  her  offspring  throughout  their 
entire  infancy  and  childhood  periods.  Cleanliness  is  a 
prime  factor  of  good  health.  The  skin  is  extremely 
delicate,  sensitive,  and  easily  injured.  Moreover,  from  it" 
there  is  a  constant  exudation  of  waste  matter  in  the  form 
of  perspiration.  This  perspired  fluid  holds  in  solution 
atoms  of  worn-out  animal  matter  and  saline  substances. 
There  is,  also,  a  discharge,  through  the  pores  of  the 
cuticle,  of  an  oily  substance,  the  purpose  of  which  is  to 
keep  the  skin-surface  soft  and  pliable,  as  well  as  to  protect 
it  from  injury.  This  oily  secretion  is  more  abundant  on 
some  parts  of  the  body  than  on  others  ;  as,  under  the 
arm-pits,  etc.  It  may  be  readily  detected  in  the  form  of 
globules  on  the  surface  of  the  water  after  bathing.  With- 
out the  presence  of  this  oily  matter  these  parts  of  the 
body  which  are  contiguous  to  each  other  would,  by  friction, 
become  chafed. 

In  infancy  this  oily  secretion  rarely  exceeds  in  quantity 
what  is  absolutely  necessary  to  keep  the  skin  in  proper 
condition.  It  is  Nature's  plan  of  supplying  a  demand  of 
the  animal  nature  of  the  child.  In  health  it  should  not 
give  rise  to  any  unpleasant  odor,  unless  allowed  to 
accumulate  to  an  abnormal  extent.  It  must  not  be  for- 
gotten, however,  that  these  accretions  are  impurities,  and, 


26  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

if  they  be  allowed  to  remain  too  long  in  contact  with  the 
skin,  they  cause  irritation  ;  and  this,  in  turn,  obstructs  the 
pores  of  the  skin,  and  thus  prevents  further  exhalation. 
When  this  condition  arises,  it  works  more  than  a  local 
injury  to  the  child.  The  exudation  is  necessary  to  health, 
and  Nature's  established  way  is  through  the  pores  of  the 
skin.  If  this  course  be  closed,  the  effort  to  cast  off  the 
effete  particles  will  still  be  made  in  other  directions. 
Tribute  will  be  laid  upon  the  bowels,  the  kidneys,  the 
lungs  and  other  organs,  to  do  the  work  which  Nature 
intended  should  be  performed  by  the  cuticle.  The  extra 
labor  thus  imposed  upon  these  organs  will  inure  to  their 
injury.  On  the  surface  of  the  body,  denied  its  natural 
and  necessary  supply  of  recuperative  agencies,  an  irrita- 
tion will  be  created,  which,  in  turn,  will  give  rise  to 
troublesome  eruptions. 

If  the  character  of  the  matter  exhaled  from  the  skin 
be  considered,  the  manner  of  its  ready  removal  is  no 
difficult  task.  The  dress  of  the  child  should  receive  a  first 
consideration,  as  it  has  an  important  bearing  in  the  case. 
It  should  be  as  light  in  weight  as  is  consistent  with  proper 
warmth.  The  fabric  should  be  of  sufficiently  open  tex- 
ture to  allow  a  free  and  unimpeded  passage  of  the 
invisible  vapor  which  forms  so  large  a  part  of  the  excre- 
tion. The  saline  residue  can  easily  be  removed  by 
frequent  ablutions  of  tepid  water.  There  is  a  diversity 
of  opinion  regarding  the  extent  to  which  soap  may  be 
employed  beneficially  in  bathing  children.  Some  author- 
ities recommend  its  use  at  all  times,  while  others  take  the 


BATHS    IN    GENERAL.  2/ 

opposite  extreme  and  deny  its  use  at  all  on  any  parts  of 
the  body  except  the  hands  and  face.  A  middle  course  is 
still  better.  The  saline  particles  are  readily  soluble  in 
water  alone  ;  so  far  as  their  removal  is  concerned,  soap  is 
unnecessary.  When,  however,  the  accumulation  of  the 
oily  substance  is  such  that  its  removal  is  desired,  soap  is 
necessary.  This  form  of  secretion  is  insoluble  in  water, 
but  readily  so  in  soap. 

With  many,  and  perhaps  most  infants,  it  is  undesirable 
that  this  oily  substance  be  removed  very  frequently.  It 
is  necessary  to  keep  the  skin  in  proper  condition.  Its 
too  frequent  removal  —  which  always  follows  where  soap 
is  used  in  bathing  —  leaves  the  skin  dry,  with  a  tendency 
to  chafe  and  even  to  break  out  in  fissures,  from  which 
troublesome  affections  of  the  skin  arise.  This  is  true  in 
adults  as  well  as  in  children.  There  are  many  persons 
who  are  forced  to  use  soap  even  on  the  face  and  hands 
with  great  moderation,  if  the  skin  be  preserved  from 
injury.  A  common  evil  result  of  a  too-free  use  of  soap 
in  bathing  is  seen  in  the  tendency  on  the  part  of  many 
persons  to  take  cold  thereafter.  The  reason  of  this  ten- 
dency is  that  the  skin  has  been  too  thoroughly  cleansed  ; 
it  has  been  denuded  of  its  oily  protection  and  defense 
against  external  agents.  It  seems,  on  the  whole,  that  on 
ordinary  occasions  the  child's  bath  should  be  water  alone. 
Let  soap  be  used  only  when  necessary. 

As  to  the  mode  of  washing  :  Let  the  water  be  tepid, 
as  has  been  said.  A  tub  of  sufficient  dimensions  to  allow 
the  immersion  of  the  entire  body  of  the  infant  is  by  far 


28  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

the  safest  and  most  convenient  method.  The  advantage 
of  this  immersion  is  that  the  whole  body  of  the  child  is 
subjected  to  the  same  temperature,  both  during  the  time 
of  bathing  and  in  the  subsequent  drying  and  redressing. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  the  bathing  be  done  by  the  applica- 
tion of  water  to  the  body  by  the  hand  or  sponge,  the 
alternate  exposure  of  the  tender  and  delicate  skin  to 
warm  water  and  cold  air  will  often  be  followed  by  serious 
consequences.  The  immersion  is,  therefore,  to  be  pre- 
ferred, both  for  its  convenience  and  for  the  good  of  the 
child.  While  the  child  remains  in  the  water,  every  part 
of  its  body  should  be  carefully  washed,  so  as  to  remove 
all  impurities.  A  sponge  or  soft  napkin  may  be  used. 
When  the  cleansing  is  completed,  the  body  should  be 
wiped  dry  with  a  soft  cloth,  gently,  but  as  quickly  as 
possible,  and  the  clothing  replaced  without  delay.  The 
child  should  not  be  allowed  to  dally  with  the  water,  as  is 
too  often  done,  nor  to  remain  undressed  a  moment  longer 
than  is  necessary. 

The  best  time  to  wash  an  infant  is  in  the  morning,  as 
soon  as  it  is  taken  out  of  bed  and  before  it  has  been  put 
to  the  breast.  If,  however,  the  child  be  delicate,  or  if 
judgment  or  experience  have  shown  that  it  should  first 
be  nourished,  the  bath  should  be  deferred  at  least  for  an 
hour.  This  will  give  time  for  the  digestion  of  the  nourish- 
ment given.  The  bath  should  not  come  when  the  stomach 
is  employed  in  the  process  of  digestion.  Before  putting 
the  child  to  sleep  in  the  evening,  and  after  it  has  been 
nursed  for  the  last  time,  a  gentle  bath  should  be  given. 


BATHS    IN    GENERAL.  29 

Tepid  water  should  be  used,  and  the  bath  should  not  be 
prolonged  beyond  a  few  minutes.  Two  important  ends 
will  be  gained  by  this  evening  ablution.  The  circulation 
of  trie  blood  will  be  provoked  toward  the  surface  of  the 
body,  which  conduces  to  health  and  comfort,  while  a 
soothing  effect  to  the  nervous  system  will  be  imparted  ? 
thus  insuring,  or  at  least  tending  to  insure,  a  quiet  and 
refreshing  sleep.  To  restless  and  irritable  children,  this 
evening  bath  is  of  the  utmost  consequence,  and  for  the 
reasons  named.  It  will  be  of  benefit  to  the  mother  also 
in  permitting  her  to  take  needed  rest  and  sleep,  unbroken 
and  undisturbed  by  a  wakeful  or  restless  child.  To  secure 
the  full  benefit  of  sleep,  the  mother  should  be  able  to  dis- 
encumber her  mind  of  any  thoughts  of  her  child.  She 
should  be  able  to  go  to  sleep  with  confidence  that  she  will 
not  be  awakened,  and  that  no  necessity  will  arise  in  which 
she  must  soothe  her  child.  Not  many  mothers  are  able 
to  do  this.  During  the  first  year  of  their  child's  life,  it 
is  never  out  of  their  mother's  thoughts,  sleeping  or 
waking.  The  result  is,  that  she  does  not  sleep  soundly 
nor  refreshingly. 

If  the  suggestion  here  made  be  heeded,  and  the  rules 
laid  down  be  observed,  the  results  will  be  beneficial  in 
almost  every  instance.  Especially  will  it  be  so  in  the  case 
of  scrofulous  children,  or  those  constitutionally  delicate. 
If,  however,  these  rules  be  not  observed,  anything  but 
good  may  result.  If,  in  the  evening  bath,  the  water  used 
be  too  warm,  or  if  it  be  prolonged  beyond  the  time  indi- 
cated—  a  few  minutes  only — excessive  sweating  will  be 


30  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

induced.  This  will  be  followed,  in  all  probability,  by  a 
cold.  The  opposition  to  baths  on  the  part  of  some  per- 
sons is  based  largely  upon  this  tendency  of  the  child  to 
take  cold  subsequently.  It  is  the  testimony  of  all  careful 
observers,  that  in  the  very  large  majority  of  such  cases, 
the  cause  is  found,  not  in  the  be  th  itself,  but  in  its  injudi- 
cious application,  and  in  the  non-observance  of  the  rules 
which  have  been  here  suggested. 

There  are  to  be  found  physicians  who  recommend  the 
cold-water  bath  for  children.  This  will  not  do,  as  a  gen- 
eral rule.  In  the  large  majority  of  cases,  the  warm  bath 
is  preferable.  In  the  case  of  a  child  who  has  attained  the 
age  of  three  or  four  months,  and  is  fairly  strong  and 
vigorous,  the  temperature  of  the  morning  bath  may  be 
safely  and  sometimes  profitably  lowered.  This  must  not 
be  done  in  any  case  unless  it  be  found  that  the  bath  is 
followed  speedily  by  a  reaction  in  the  temperature  of  the 
body.  The  cold  water  drives  the  blood  from  the  surface. 
A  natural  reaction  will  follow  if  the  child  be  strong  enough 
in  its  vital  organs  to  excite  it.  Such  action  and  reaction 
are  beneficial.  When  the  reaction  does  not  immediately 
follow,  the  cold  bath  must  be  abandoned  at  once. 

In  all  cases  of  bathing  it  is  important  to  remember 
that,  before  redressing,  a  gentle  glow  should  be  excited 
by  friction.  A  soft,  dry  napkin  or  piece  of  flannel  may 
be  used,  and  the  rubbing  process  be  continued  until  the 
desired  result  is  secured.  This  is  both  agreeable  to  the 
feelings  of  the  child,  and  beneficial  to  its  health.  When 
the  child  is  a  few  months  old,  and  the  weather  is  warm 


CLOTHING   OF   INFANTS.  31 

and  dry,  it  will  be  no  injury,  but  rather  a  benefit  to  the 
child,  if  the  dressing  be  deferred  a  little  time.  Allow  it 
to  gambol  freely  about.  If  the  child  show  signs  of  enjoy- 
ment, it  may  be  set  down  that  it  is  being  benefited  ;  if, 
however,  the  child  take  no  pleasure  in  its  romp,  or  show 
an  indisposition  to  avail  itself  of  the  privilege  of  unre- 
stricted ambling,  it  is  evident  that  no  benefit  is  accruing, 
and  the  redressing  should  proceed  as  soon  as  possible. 

On  the  general  subject  of  cleanliness,  it  is  necessary  to 
insist  that  care  be  given  to  the  coverings  of  the  child. 
Every  damp  or  soiled  part  of  this  covering  should  be 
immediately  removed,  and  the  skin  carefully  washed  of 
every  vestige  of  impurity  arising  from  natural  evacuations. 
In  early  infancy  these  evacuations  are  frequent  and  invol- 
untary. If  the  nurse  be  attentive,  she  may  very  soon  be 
able  to  forestall  them. 

What  has  here  been  said  of  baths  and  bathing  in  the 
case  of  the  infant,  will  apply  in  a  general  way  to  every 
period  of  childhood.  It  will  generally  be  found  advisable 
to  reduce  the  temperature  of  the  bath  with  the  increase  of 
the  age  of  the  child.  When  it  reaches  its  second  year, 
this  temperature  may  be  so  reduced  that  a  feeling  of 
coldness  is  imparted  to  the  skin  when  the  bath  is  first 
entered. 

Clothing  of    Infants. 

In  adverting  to  the  subject  of  dress,  the  purpose  is  not 
to  discuss  it  from  the  standpoint  of  fashion  or  elegance. 
With  these  phases  of  the  question,  this  work  has  nothing 


32  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

to  do.  But,  so  far  as  the  clothing  of  the  child  may  affect 
its  health  and  comfort  and  no  farther,  does  this  subject 
become  one  for  thought. 

In  the  dress  of  infants,  three  important  particulars  are 
to  be  considered — lightness,  softness  and  warmth.  Each 
of  these  qualities  must  vary  with  season  and  climate.  All 
infantile  garments  should  be  constructed  with  due  regard 
to  ease  and  facility  in  putting  on  and  taking  off.  There 
should  be  the  aim,  too,  to  give  ample  protection  to  all 
parts  of  the  body  without  in  any  way  interfering  with  full 
und  free  action.  If  the  child's  dress  meet  all  these  ends, 
the  mother's  sense  and  wisdom  cannot  be  questioned,  even 
though  there  may  be  errors  in  taste  and  style.  She  has 
provided  well  for  her  little  one,  and  its  comfort  and  healthy 
development  will  abundantly  repay  her. 

Whatever  may  tend  to  compress  the  body  or  to  restrain 
the  free  use  of  arms  and  legs  should  be  avoided.  All  such 
restraint  is  deleterious  to  the  present  comfort  of  the  child 
and  to  the  proper  growth  of  these  members.  If  the  child 
be  born  in  the  winter  when  the  weather  is  severe,  or  if  it 
be  born  prematurely  at  any  time  of  the  year,  soft  flannel 
is  the  best  material  for  all  parts  of  the  dress  which  come 
in  contact  with  the'  skin.  This  fabric  not  only  affords  the 
best  protection,  but  acts  as  a  gentle  stimulus  to  the  skin, 
and  thus  tends  to  prevent  congestion,  inflammation  and 
troubl<  s  of  the  bowels,  to  which  all  delicate  children  are 
subjec :.  It  sometimes  is  the  case,  however,  that  flannel 
garrm^its  irritate  the  skin,  or  produce  excessive  perspira- 
tion. \n  such  cases  cotton  or  linen  material  should  be 


CLOTHING   OF    INFANTS.  33 

used,  and  the  precaution  should  be  taken  to  warm  tfce 
garments  before  dressing  the  child. 

With  regard  to  the  outer  clothes,  no  rules  can  be  laid 
down  which  would  meet  every  case,  or  even  be  of  much 
value.  The  good  sense  and  judgment  of  the  mother  will 
be  the  best  guide  with  regard  to  these.  It  is  important  to 
remember  that  nothing  must  be  allowed  upon  the  child 
which  may  interfere  with  the  free  exercise  of  its  limbs. 
Nor  must  there  be  any  compression  of  the  lungs  or  bowels, 
if  these  organs  are  to  develop  properly  and  perform  their 
designed  ends  in  contributing  to  the  general  health  of  the 
child. 

Comfort  is  to  be  an  important  consideration  in  con- 
structing the  child's  clothing.  It  must  not  be  forgotten 
that  children  may  be  uncomfortable  in  an  atmosphere,  hot 
or  cold,  which  the  adult  does  not  consider  at  all  hot  or 
cold.  This  is  caused  partly  by  the  fact  that  the  generation 
of  animal  heat  is  not  so  active  in  the  infant  as  in  the  adult ; 
consequently,  its  natural  lack  must  be  compensated  by 
covering.  On  the  other  hand,  wrapping  too  closely  or 
confining  to  an  over-heated  or  ill-ventilated  room,  is  both 
a  discomfort  and  an  injury  to  the  child,  and  should  be 
avoided. 

The  common  custom  of  dressing  infants  in  long  robes 
is  not  objectionable,  inasmuch  as  these  have  a  tendency  to 
protect  the  body  and  the  lower  extremities  from  draughts 
of  cold  air.  If  the  weather  be  very  cold,  an  additional 
protection  for  the  feet  becomes  necessary.  Stockings  and 
shoes  of  soft  wool  are  the  best.  Heavy  covering  for  the 

3 


34  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

head  is  not  required.  The  custom  of  providing  infants 
Avith  warm  caps  has  been,  happily,  almost  entirely  aban- 
doned. Unless  the  weather  be  very  severe  and  the  room 
difficult  to  keep  at  even  temperature,  nothing  at  all  is 
required  in-doors.  If  the  child  be  taken  out-doors,  its  head 
should  not  be  bundled  up  extravagantly.  It  will  be  better 
for  it  if  only  sufficient  covering  be  put  on  the  head  to  insure 
reasonable  comfort. 

Dr.  Verdi,  in  his  work,  "  Maternity,"  very  aptly  says  : 
""  We  all  like  to  see  children  looking  pretty,  cunning  and 
attractive.  The  vanity  of  mothers  does  a  great  deal 
toward  the  attainment  of  this  end.  Let  us  commence 
from  the  period  when  a  girl  baby  leaves  off  her  long  robes 
for  short  skirts.  The  mother  will  take  care  that  the  baby's 
chest  is  well  covered  ;  the  pretty  limbs,  however,  will  be 
exposed,  the  little  stockings  short,  and  the  drawers  made 
of  cotton  or  linen,  but  thin.  If  the  child  goes  out, 
'  Nurse,  put  a  sacque  on  the  baby  and  do  not  let  her  go 
out  without  her  hat  ;  it  is  cool  to-day,'  will  be  said. 
Unless  it  is  decided  winter,  no  additional  clothing  is  sug- 
gested for  her  limbs  or  abdomen."  Such  inequalities  in 
the  dress  of  the  different  parts  of  the  body  lay  the  founda- 
tion for  disease  ;  it  should  upbraid  every  mother  who  has 
allowed  her  pride  to  blind  her  judgment  to  the  proper 
dress  for  her  child.  More  than  that,  the  child  being  help- 
less, the  mother  is  morally  guilty  of  a  crime  against  her 
offspring.  Motherhood  lays  upon  her  a  responsibility 
which  she  cannot  set  aside.  No  considerations  of  a  pres- 
ent tasteful  or  beautiful  sight  can  excuse  the  responsible 


SLEEPING.  35 

cause  of  that  child's  after-pain  and  discomfort  —  perhaps 
untimely  death. 

Sleeping. 

During  the  first  months  of  the  infant's  life,  the  powers 
of  its  system  are  wholly  occupied  in  carrying  on  digestion 
and  growth  ;  consequently,  its  time  is  divided  between 
sleeping  and  feeding.  It  is  seldom,  if  ever,  awake.  It  may 
and  does  occasionally  open  its  eyes,  but  its  consciousness 
is  not  sufficiently  active  and  distinct  to  warrant  a  use  of 
the  term  wakefulness,  in  any  proper  application  of  that 
term.  The  point  of  concern  during  this  period  is  not 
when  or  how  long  it  sleeps ;  it  is  how  it  sleeps.  The 
physician  is  often  asked  by  mothers  :  "  Shall  the  baby 
sleep  in  a  cot  of  its  own,  or  shall  it  sleep  in  its  mother's 
arms  ?  "  There  is  but  one  reply  to  make  :  "  By  all  means 
in  its  own  cot."  Care  must  be  taken  to  have  this  cot  sup- 
plied with  sufficient  light  covering  to  preserve  a  proper 
degree  of  warmth,  and  it  should  always  be  artificially 
heated  before  the  babe  is  laid  upon  it.  For  the  first 
month,  at  least,  the  cot  should  be  protected  from  any 
strong  light.  This  can  be  done  either  by  darkening  the 
windows,  or,  if  this  be  not  desirable,  by  surrounding  the 
bed  with  curtains.  If  the  latter  method  be  used,  the 
curtains  must  be  laid  aside  as  soon  as  it  is  safe  for  the 
child  ;  their  presence  interferes  with  the  free  circulation  of 
the  air,  and  abundant  and  pure  air  is  of  paramount 
importance  to  the  child.  Care  must  also  be  taken  to 
have  the  cot  so  placed  that  it  shall  not  be  in 'a  direct  cur- 


36  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

rent  of  air.     The  system  is  more  susceptible  to  cold  while 
sleeping  than  while  awake. 

Nutrition  and  sleep  thus  occupy  the  first  months  of  the 
infant's  life.  It  awakes  only  to  feed,  and,  having  received 
the  desired  nourishment,  it  falls  asleep  again.  As  the 
organism  develops,  the  desire  for  activity  increases,  and 
that  for  sleep  diminishes.  The  prudent  nurse  or  mother 
will  act  most  wisely  when  she  studies  to  follow  the  teach- 
ings and  promptings  of  Nature.  This  will  induce  her  to 
endeavor  to  remove  any  chance  impediments  that  may 
come  in  the  way  of  this  natural  order.  Regularity  in  the 
hours  for  sleeping  and  waking  should  be  observed  as  far 
as  possible.  In  the  animal  economy  there  is  a  periodicity 
which  is  adapted  to  that  of  physical  phenomena,  and  which 
tends  to  bring  about  a  recurring  state  of  the  system  at 
regular  intervals.  This  law  should  be  observed  with 
regard  to  the  nursing  and  sleeping  of  the  growing  child. 
Unless  such  regularity  be  established  and  adhered  to, 
neither  mother  nor  child  will  be  permitted  to  enjoy  the 
undisturbed  repose  which  is  so  essential  to  health.  The 
mother  who  encourages  her  child  to  start  up  at  any  time 
of  the  day  or  night  and  demand  the  breast  —  or  who  is 
continually  offering  it  whether  the  child  be  hungry  or  not, 
simply  to  soothe  its  cries  —  need  not  be  surprised  if  con- 
tinual restlessness  and  discontent  follow.  This  condition 
once  established  as  a  fixed  habit,  the  mother's  peace  and 
comfort,  as  well  as  the  child's  health  and  general  well- 
being,  will  be  sacrificed.  She  may  be  able  for  the 
moment  to  quiet  the  child  by  this  means,  but  it  will  be  at 
the  expense  of  ultimate  trouble  and  disappointment. 


SLEEPING.  37 

In  every  effort  to  train  the  child  to  regular  hours  for 
eating,  sleeping  and  other  natural  operations,  it  is 
advisable  that  the  natural  time  for  these  be  considered. 
The  night  is  the  time  appointed  of  Nature  for  sleep.  There 
is  a  natural  tendency  to  sleep  at  that  time.  Nothing 
should  be  allowed  to  come  in  the  way  of  the  child  in 
yielding  to  this  inclination.  But  to  children  under  two 
and  three  years  of  age,  more  sleep  is  demanded  than  that 
afforded  in  the  night.  All  children,  with  rare  exceptions, 
incline  to  sleep  from  one  to  three  hours  during  the  day. 
Keeping  in  view  the  general  principle  already  laid  down, 
the  care  of  the  mother  should  be  to  train  the  child  to 
regularity  in  this  day  sleeping.  The  middle  of  the  day  is 
the  better  time  for  this  sleep,  and  this  should  be  the  time 
chosen  for  it.  The  mother  will  find  some  opposition  on 
the  part  of  the  child,  owing  to  its  natural  restlessness  and 
activity;  but,  by  judicious  and  systematic  management, 
she  will  soon  find  it  ready  to  adapt  itself  to  her  wishes.  If 
the  time  for  this  sleeping 'be  deferred  until  later  in  the 
day,  it  is  likely  to  produce  wakefulness  at  some  time 
during  the  night.  This  midday  rest,  even  if  it  be  con- 
tinued with  children  until  they  are  four  or  five  years  old, 
will  prove  of  great  advantage.  This  is  especially  true  of 
nervous  children. 

Two  things  should  always  be  excluded  from  the 
nursery  —  namely,  light  and  noise.  The  presence  of  these 
may  not  prevent  the  children  from  sleeping,  and  may 
apparently  work  no  injury.  But  they  are  injurious.  They 
tend  to 'render  the  sleep  troubled  and  unrefreshing  by 


38  MAIDENHOOD  AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

rasping  on  the  nervous  sensibilities  of  the  sleeper,  and 
may  lead  into  that  condition  in  which  the  child  is  suscep- 
tible to  spasmodic  and  convulsive  attacks  from  any 
accidental  irritation.  Sleeplessness,  more  than  anything 
else  short  of  actual  sickness,  is  greatly  distressing  to  the 
anxious  mother  and  annoying  to  the  impatient  nurse.  A 
healthy  child,  if  properly  treated  and  not  unduly  excited, 
will  always  be  ready  for  sleep  at  the  regularly  appointed 
time.  When  such  a  child  is  not,  but  is  restless  and  excit- 
able, there  is  a  cause.  This  cause  should  be  inquired  into 
carefully,  and,  when  found,  it  should  be  removed.  In 
many  cases,  the  cause  may  be  outward  and  manifest,  in 
which  cases  there  are  no  difficulties  in  dealing  with  it. 
When  no  cause  can  possibly  be  found  which  would  lead 
to  the  wakefulness,  it  is  safe  to  infer  that  the  child  is  not 
well.  Professional  counsel  should  be  taken  and  such 
remedies  employed  as  will  restore  the  normal  condition, 
when  in  all  probability  the  sleeplessness  will  disappear. 

The  practice  of  many  mothers  in  administering  lauda- 
num, paregoric,  or  *ome  of  the  many  patent  "  soothing 
syrups,"  is  most  pernicious,  and  cannot  be  too  severely 
condemned.  Several  years  ago  a  physician  was  visiting 
at  the  home  of  an  old  friend.  He  there  met  a  daughter 
of  his  friend  who  was  also  the  mother  of  an  infant  a  few 
months  old.  He  observed  that  the  child  appeared  deli- 
cate, fretful  and  nervous,  crying  the  most  of  the  time  it 
was  awake.  The  mother,  too,  was  careworn  and  haggard 
from  watching  and  anxiety.  He  said  to  her  :  "  Your  child 
appears  to  be  very  troublous,  nervous,  restless  and  ill- 


SLEEPING.  39 

disposed  to  sleep."  The  mother  replied  that"  It  was  so 
almost  from  its  birth,  and  I  believe  it  would  never  sleep  if 
I  did  not  give  it  soothing  syrup."  "  Have  you  been 
giving  it  this  syrup  all  this  time?"  was  asked.  "  Oh, 
yes,"  replied  the  young  mother,  "  I  am  now  on  the  seventh 
dozen  of  bottles."  "  Well,"  replied  the  physician,  "  I  am 
not  at  all  surprised  that  that  child  is  peevish,  delicate  and 
sleepless.  The  only  real  thing  to  be  surprised  at  is  that 
it  is  alive. "  He  then  took  occasion  to  show  the  folly  and 
danger  of  the  course  she  had  been  pursuing,  and  coun- 
seled her  to  stop  giving  the  drug  at  once  ;  to  give  it  better 
nourishment  and  general  care.  The  advice  was  followed, 
and  in  less  than  a  fortnight  the  child  was  sleeping  naturally, 
and  the  whole  household  relieved  of  the  annoyance  of  its 
restlessness  as  well  as  of  constant  anxiety  on  its  account. 

This  mother  was  like  many  others.  Instead  of  seeking 
proper  medical  advice  when  her  child  first  showed 
symptoms  of  fretfulness,  she  yielded  to  the  ideas  of  some 
one  more  foolish  than  herself,  and  began  a  course  of  giv- 
ing temporary  relief  at  the  expense  of  Nature.  There  was 
only  one  ending.  The  child  would  surely  have  died  under 
its  treatment,  or  it  would  have  grown  up  with  a  shattered 
constitution,  perhaps  with  health  hopelessly  ruined. 

In  infancy,  as  well  as  in  adult  age,  health  and  healthful 
repose  are  insured  by  having  the  sleeping  robes  and  the 
bed-clothing  fully  aired  each  day.  As  soon  as  the  child 
is  taken  from  its  bed,  the  bed-clothes  should  be  exposed 
to  the  air  and  allowed  to  remain  so  for  several  hours' 
Greater  importance  attaches  to  this  simple  sanitary  mea- 


4O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

sure  than  is  generally  thought.  Clothing  so  aired  and 
purified  has  a  soothing  effect  which  conduces  to  sounder 
and  more  refreshing  repose,  and  this  will  speedily  show 
itself  in  the  improved  health  of  the  child. 

Rocking  or  Exercise. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  it  is  better  for  the  child, 
better  for  the  mother,  that  the  former  should  occupy  its 
own  cot.  It  is  proper  to  inquire  a  little  -concerning  this 
cot.  Shall  it  be  stationary,  or  shall  it  be  supplied  with 
rockers,  so  that  it  can  be  moved  to  and  fro  ?  Common 
custom,  followed  from  where  memory  runs  not  to  the 
contrary,  decides  for  the  rocking-bed.  To  what  extent 
the  rocking  should  be  used  is  a  matter  requiring  some 
judgment  and  discrimination. 

In  infancy,  as  well  as  in  all  other  periods  of  life,  exercise 
is  essential  to  health.  An  instinct  prompts  the  child  to 
crave  this  exercise,  and  to  give  evidence  of  its  craving  at 
a  very  early  age.  It  requires  a  prudent  caution  on  the 
part  of  the  mother  that  this  exercise  be  properly  regulated. 
The  delicate  state  of  the  child's  organism  must  be  kept 
constantly  in  view,  as  well  as  the  laws  under  which  the 
chief  functions  of  this  organism  operate.  If  this  be  not 
done,  there  is  danger  that  the  bones  and  muscles  of  the 
little  frame  may  be  called  upon  to  perform  duties  out  of 
all  proportion  to  their  strength.  It  is  a  fact,  of  not  infre- 
quent observation,  that  the  infant  is  subjected  to  such 
'dangling  and  rocking  as  to  produce  serious  injury  to  its 
organism,  and  to  indirectly  cause  much  care  and  trouble 
to  the  mother  or  nurse. 


ROCKING   OR    EXERCISE.  41 

When,  as  is  often  the  case,  the  crib  is  kept  in  continual 
motion,  jostling  the  child  from  side  to  side  —  a  motion 
which  to  an  adult  is  an  exercise  so  unpleasant  as  to 
frequently  cause  nausea — it  becomes  a  serious  question 
whether  or  not  the  cot  should  be  without  rockers  alto- 
gether. It  will  be  argued  that  the  child  itself  decides  for 
the  rocking,  since  it  awakes  or  becomes  restless  and 
peevish  the  moment  the  motion  ceases.  This  may  be 
admitted,  but  the  admission  does  not  settle  the  question 
conclusively.  In  this,  as  in  everything  else  pertaining  to 
the  child-life,  the  swaying  motion  is  likely  the  result  of 
education  and  habit.  It  is  possible,  and  indeed  quite 
common,  for  the  child  to  be  kept  under  a  peculiar  degree 
of  excitement  until  unrest  and  discontent  may  be  the  only 
qualities  developed  in  its  nature.  When  in  such  a  state, 
its  demands  can  never  be  satisfied.  The  more  the  con- 
cession that  is  made,  the  greater  will  be  the  demands. 
The  too-indulgent  mother,  in  yielding  to  the  whims  and 
caprices  of  her  child,  is  contributing  actively  and  passively 
to  the  further  development  of  the  evil  propensities. 

Exercise  is  undoubtedly  necessary  to  the  well-being 
of  the  ohild  ;  but  this  exercise  must  be  judiciously  admin- 
istered. The  principal  purpose  always,  in  every  period 
of  life  and  state  of  development,  is  the  good  of  the  child. 
The  mother  is  the  teacher,  not  the  pupil  of  her  child ;  its 
master,  not  its  willing  slave.  She  should  decide  what  is 
best  for  it,  and  so  train  the  child  that  it  will  accept  what 
is  done  for  it.  The  first  exercise  of  the  little  being  should 
consist  in  journeys  about  the  nursery  or  in  the  open  air, 


42  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

if  the  temperature  be  at  all  moderate.  In  addition  to 
this,  let  there  be  a  gentle  friction  with  the  hand  over  the 
entire  surface  of  the  body  and  limbs.  This,  on  trial,  will 
be  found  to  be  an  operation  quite  agreeable  to  the  child. 
It  is  no  less  beneficent  in  promoting  a  free  and  equable 
circulation. 

Parents  are  sometimes  fond  of  exciting  their  children 
to  muscular  activity  out  of  all  proportion  to  the  age  and 
strength  of  the  tender  frame.  They  sometimes  do  this 
through  a  mistaken  notion  of  the  hygienic  laws  of  natural 
development  ;  sometimes  for  no  reason  whatever  save 
their  own  amusement.  It  tickles  their  pride  to  see  their 
children  able  to  perform  prodigies  of  muscular  activity 
impossible  to  other  infants  of  similar  age  and  size.  They 
consider  it  an  evidence  of  the  superiority  of  their  child's 
constitution.  Whatever  may  be  the  reason,  whether 
ignorance,  false  knowledge  or  pride,  it  is  exceedingly 
foolish  and  culpable.  Instead  of  laying  the  foundation 
for  a  future  of  health  and  strength  for  the  child,  they  are 
undermining  the  very  sources  of  its  strength.  They  are 
dwarfing  its  physical  constitution  and  seriously,  perhaps 
fatally,  ruining  its  health. 

Very  much  active  exercise  is  not  favorable  to  the 
proper  development  of  the  tender  infant.  Such  passive 
exercise  as  has  been  suggested  is  eminently  favorable  to 
it.  It  is  especially  desirable  that  the  child  be  given  the 
benefit  of  the  invigoration  of  out-door  exercise  as  far  as 
practicable.  If  it  be  born  in  the  spring,  summer  or  early 
in  the  autumn,  it  need  not  be  confined  to  the  nursery 


FEEDING   OR   NURSING   INFANTS.  43 

longer  than  a  fortnight.  It  can  be  taken  out,  care  being 
used  to  accustom  it  to  the  out-door  air  gradually. 
Fifteen  or  twenty  minutes  are  sufficient  time  for  the  first 
airing,  and  the  time  may  be  extended  as  it  becomes  more 
inured  to  it.  If  the  child  be  born  in  the  winter,  it  should 
not  be  allowed  outside  the  equably-tempered  nursery 
until  it  is  six  weeks  old,  and  then  only  in  very  favorable 
weather.  The  child,  like  the  adult,  is  seldom  injured  by 
too  much  time  spent  in  the  open  air  ;  the  injury,  when 
injury  is  wrought,  arises  from  improper  exposure  to  the 
air.  The  child  is  not  essentially  different  from  the  adult. 
On  the  contrary,  it  has  the  same  nature  and  is  amenable 
to  the  same  laws.  Going  suddenly  from  a  warm,  close 
room  into  a  raw  atmosphere,  is  attended  with  serious  risk 
to  health  at  any  time  of  life.  The  best  general  direction 
for  the  mother  to  observe  is  to  remember  that  the  child 
is  like  herself,  only  very  much  more  susceptible  to  atmos- 
pheric influences.  She  should  care  for  its  health  as  she 
cares  for  her  own,  only  much  more  minutely  and  ten- 
derly. 

Feeding  on  Nursing  Infants. 

*• 

It  has  already  been  said,  that  for  some  time  after  birth 
the  infant  is  occupied  wholly  in  taking  nourishment  and  in 
sleeping.  Its  system  is  called  upon  to  perform  no  other 
demands  than  those  concerned  in  nutrition,  digestion  and 
excretion.  As  soon  as  those  organs  which  are  most 
immediately  essential  to  life  are  in  active  operation,  the 
imperative  want  is  for  a  regular  supply  of  the  material  by 


44  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

which  the  nutrition  and  development  of  the  body  are  sup- 
plied, and  the  constant  waste  of  the  system  repaired.  As 
soon  as  the  infant  awakes  from  its  first  sleep,  it  gives  evi- 
dence of  the  possession  of  an  appetite  and  craving  for 
food.  It  instinctively  appeals  to  the  mother  to  satisfy  this 
craving.  This  is  the  case  with  all  animals.  As  soon  as 
the  machinery  of  life  is  fully  started,  a  natural  instinct 
impels  them  to  seek  for  that  which  will  keep  their  machin- 
ery in  motion.  The  new-born  child  conforms  to  the  gen- 
eral rule. 

It  is,  manifestly,  the  first  duty  of  those  in  attendance 
upon  the  child  to  see  that -this  natural  desire  is  met.  As 
soon  as  the  mother  has  sufficiently  recovered  from  the 
exhaustion  following  the  labors  of  birth,  the  child  should 
be  put  to  the  breast.  The  mother  will,  in  all  ordinary 
cases,  be  able  for  this  in  an  hour  or  two.  At  first  the 
secretion  of  the  breast  will  be  of  a  thin  and  watery  con- 
sistency, limited  in  quantity,  and  bearing  little  apparent 
resemblance  to  milk.  In  a  few  days,  however,  the  quan- 
tity becomes  more  abundant  and  more  rich  and  nourishing 
in  quality.  All  this  is  entirely  natural.  Nature  knows 
exactly  what  the  infant  demands,  and  has  so  arranged  the 
functional  operations  of  the  milk  secretion  of  the  mother 
as  to  exactly  meet  this  demand. 

When  the  child  is  born,  its  bowels  contain  the  dark 
and  slimy  meconium.  This  has  heretofore  served  a  useful 
purpose.  But  the  retention  of  the  meconium  longer  will 
certainly  prove  hurtful.  The  natural  operations  of 
external  and  independent  existence  must  now  begin,  and 


FEEDING   OR   NURSING   INFANTS.  45 

a  necessary  preparation  for  these  is  the  expulsion  of  this 
meconium.  For  this  end,  nothing  is  so  good  as  the  first 
secretion  of  the  mother's  breast.  No  aperient  can  be  sub- 
stituted for  that  which  Nature  has  provided  that  so  well  or 
so  safely  meets  the  case.  The  bowels  are  dormant,  and 
must  be  stimulated  to  action.  But  there  is  risk,  if  this  be 
done  by  other  means  than  those  which  Nature  has  pro- 
vided for  the  purpose,  that  there  may  be  undue  irritation. 
It  rarely  happens,  when  the  infant  is  put  to  its  mother's 
breast  at  the  first  opportunity,  as  indicated  above,  that 
the  bowels  are  not  thoroughly  cleansed  and  in  normal 
activity  in  a  day  or  two. 

The  custom  of  some  nurses  to  commence  dosing  the 
babe,  almost  as  soon  as  it  is  dressed,  with  various  kinds 
of  teas,  is  wholly  unnatural  and  consequently  pernicious. 
It  is  unqualifiedly  condemned  by  all  reputable  physicians. 
It  should  never  be  followed  except  on  the  advice  of  the 
physician.  There  are  cases  where  Nature  must  be  aided  ; 
but  no  one  should  undertake  to  decide  that  such  a  case 
exists  until  a  competent  physician  shall  have  been  con- 
sulted. The  custom  arose  in  ignorance  of  the  purpose 
and  sufficiency  of  the  natural  means  for  meeting  the  end 
desired.  The  necessity  for  the  evacuation  of  the  bowels 
of  the  meconium  was  recognized,  but  that  the  mother's 
milk  was  all-sufficient  for  this  was  not  recognized. 
Unquestionably  there  are  cases  where  Nature  must  be 
aided  in  this  operation,  but  such  aid  should  never  be 
undertaken  unadvisedly. 

The  general  rule  is  as  stated.     A  constituent  element 


46  MAIDENHOOD  AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

in  the  first  milk  of  the  mother  is  a  laxative,  gentle  but 
active,  sufficiently  mitigated  to  be  adapted  to  the  delicate 
constitution  and  organism  of  the  child.  It  may  be  said 
that  infants  are  not  alike  when  born.  True  enough  ;  but 
it  is  equally  true  that  every  woman  is  the  mother  of  her 
own  child.  It  is  a  part  of  herself.  It  partakes  of  her 
nature  and  characteristics.  The  same  natural  provisions 
which  enabled  the  mother  to  conceive  and  bear  her  child 
also  operate  to  bring  about  the  proper  harmony  between 
the  mother's  milk  and  the  demands  of  the  child.  The 
objection  does  not  hold.  If,  then,  Nature  be  unneces- 
sarily assisted  in  the  first  evacuation  of  the  infant's  bowels, 
there  is  a  double  risk  incurred.  The  intestines  of  the 
child  may  be  irritated  by  excessive  purgation,  and  the 
mother  may  suffer  from  the  unrelieved  distention  of  her 
breasts.  From  the  latter  cause,  there  not  infrequently 
arises  inflammation,  painful  and  dangerous,  and  perhaps 
an  abscess  still  more  painful  and  dangerous. 

It  is  sometimes  the  case,  owing  to  the  mother's  con- 
stitution or  imperfect  health,  that  the  secretion  of  milk  is 
deferred  so  long  that  other  nourishment  must  be  given 
the  child.  This  delay  is  generally  traceable  directly  to 
previous  inattention  to  the  proper  hygiene  which  the 
mother's  condition  required.  Of  course  this  cannot  be 
remedied  now.  The  child  is  born  and  must  be  attended 
to  without  delay.  It  is  advisable  always  to  put  the  child 
to  the  breast,  even  though  the  mother  have  nothing  to 
give  it.  Nature  in  the  mother  needs  to  be  aided  and 
stimulated.  It  will  be  found,  in  the  majority  of  instances, 


FOOD   OF  INFANTS.  47 

that  the  solicitation  of  the  child  at  the  breast  will  bring 
about  the  desired  results  in  a  very  short  time.  When 
this  fails,  as  it  will  in  some  cases,  and  the  mother  has 
nothing  whatever  for  her  child,  there  is  but  one  course  to 
follow  :  the  child  must  be  fed  artificially.  When-  this  has 
to  be  done,  it  is  wise  to  remember  that  the  best  results 
are  secured  when  Nature  is  most  closely  imitated.  That 
is  to  say,  the  milk  provided  for  the  infant's  sustenance 
should  resemble,  as  nearly  as  possible,  that  which  would 
have  been  supplied  by  the  mother. 

Food    of    Infants. 

It  is  now  generally  agreed  that,  during  the  first  six 
months,  at  least,  no  kind  of  food  is  so  congenial  to  the 
infant,  none  so  well  adapted  to  the  necessities  of  its 
developing  organism,  as  its  mother's  milk.  Between 
parent  and  child  there  is  an  intimate  relationship  of  blood 
and  constitution,  which,  during  health,  adapts  them  to 
each  other  with  a  harmony  and  completeness  that  can 
scarcely  exist  between  the  infant  and  any  other  woman. 
The  mother,  therefore,  is  peculiarly  bound  by  every  tie 
of  duty  and  affection  to  become  the  nurse  of  her  child  ; 
nothing  but  ill-health  and  positive  inability  can  excuse 
•her  for  imposing  this  duty  upon  another.  It  is  common 
in  fashionable  society  to  consign,  for  no  good  and  suffi- 
cient reason,  the  infant  to  the  breast  of  another.  This  is 
a  physical  injury  to  mother  and  child  alike.  The  best 
medical  authority,  the  strongest  reasons,  and  the  highest 
instincts  and  feelings  of  humanity  unite  to  urge  upon  the 


48  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

mother  the  duty  of  caring  for  her  own  offspring,  and 
nourishing  it  with  the  sustenance  which  Nature  supplies 
through  herself. 

A  feeble  constitution  or  impaired  health  will  some- 
times compel  mothers  to  resign  this  duty  to  others,  how- 
ever much  they  may  desire  to  do  it  themselves.  When, 
therefore,  from  any  cause  it  becomes  necessary  to 
furnish  sustenance  to  the  child  from  other  sources  than  its 
mother,  the  best  substitute  possible  'should  be  secured. 
The  best  undoubtedly  is  the  breast  of  another  woman 
whose  condition  is  similar  to  that  of  the  mother.  Such  a 
substitute  is  not  always  available.  In  rural  communities 
and  sparsely-settled  districts,  it  is  rarely  so.  What 
then  ? 

The  most  common  resort  is  cow's  mi^~.  It  is  the 
most  readily  obtainable  and  in  many  respects  is  excellent. 
Ass's  milk  is  still  better,  if  it  can  be  had.  It  is  stronger  in 
saccharine  constituents,  and  when  used  should  be  diluted 
with  water  to  about  double  its  volume.  If  cow's  milk  be 
used,  a  small  quantity  of  sugar  must  be  added  to  bring  it 
to  the  degree  of  sweetness  possessed  by  human  milk. 
The  ass's  milk,  even  with  the  addition  of  fifty  per  cent,  of 
water,  is  much  sweeter  than  that  of  the  mother.  A  few 
teaspoonfuls  may  be  given  at  a  time  and  at  sufficient 
intervals  until  the  mother  is  able  to  nourish.  A  nursing 
bottle  should  be  used.  It  is  the  more  convenient  way, 
and  comes  nearest  to  the  natural  method  instinctively 
adopted  by  the  child. 

Milk  given  in  this  way  is  decidedly  preferable  to  any 


FOOD    OF   INFANTS.  49 

kind  of  gruel,  tea,  or  any  of  the  preparations  commonly 
known  as  "  infant's  food."  At  this  tender  period,  the 
digestive  organs  are  not  prepared  for  the  reception  of  any 
sort  of  vegetable  food  ;  when  it  is  given,  it  seldom  fails 
to  irritate  the  stomach  and  bowels.  Cow's  milk,  diluted 
and  sweetened  properly,  is  nearly  the  same  in  composi- 
tion as  that  obtained  from  the  breast  of  the  mother.  It 
is,  consequently,  a  very  good  substitute  for  it.  An 
ounce  of  milk  thus  prepared  is  a  sufficient  quantity  to 
give  at  one  time,  and  the  allowance  should  not  be 
repeated  oftener  than  every  two  hours.  An  ounce  of 
milk  well  digested  affords  more  real  nourishment  than 
double  that  amount  crowded  into  a  stomach  too  feeble  to 
digest  it. 

How  often  should  food  be  given?  It  is  of  first  impor- 
tance to  the  mother  that  she  guard  against  hurtful  excess 
in  the  matter  of  nourishment.  There  is  greater  likelihood 
of  giving  too  much  milk  and  too  frequently  than  of  the 
opposite  extreme.  The  direct  effect  of  too-lavish  nursing 
is  that  it  introduces  a  quantity  of  milk  into  the  stomach 
beyond  its  capacity.  The  stomach  thus  becomes  distended 
and  the  digestive  powers  are  impaired.  From  this  condi- 
tion griping  and  flatulence  follow,  very  much  to  the 
discomfort  of  the  child.  The  common  practice  with  inex- 
perienced mothers  is  to  offer  the  breast  whenever  the 
child  may  cry  or  show  uneasiness.  The  breast  is  the 
panacea  for  all  infantile  ills,  no  matter  from  what  cause 
they  arise.  It  seems  to  be  taken  for  granted  that  hunger 
is  the  only  possible  sensation  of  the  child,  and  nursing  the 


5O  MAIDENHOOD    AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

ever-present  and  ever-potent  cure-all.  Such  indiscriminate 
nursing  is  exceedingly  unwise.  From  the  earliest  infancy 
regular  periods  should  be  observed  for  nursing.  To  those 
who  have  not  followed  such  rule,  it  will  be  a  surprise  to 
see  how  soon  the  child  will  accommodate  itself  to  such 
regularity.  It  will  certainly  require  some  little  time, 
trouble  and  patience  to  train  the  child  to  habit  in  this 
regard.  But  the  repose,  both  to  child  and  mother,  during 
the  intervals,  will  amply  repay  all  outlay  of  time  or  trouble. 
Such  repose  is  eminently  beneficial  to  both. 

It  is  the  greatest  of  mistakes  to  treat  crying  as  an 
infallible  indication  of  hunger.  On  the  contrary,  this  is 
the  only  method  known  to  the  child  of  expressing  discom- 
fort from  any  cause.  The  delicate  organism  of  the  child 
receives  unpleasant  sensations  from  any  positive  manifes- 
tation of  the  external  world.  Heat,  cold,  pressure,  hardness, 
hunger,  repletion,  light,  noise  —  all  affect  it  unpleasantly, 
unaccustomed  as  it  is  to  the  world  and  its  objects.  When 
so  affected,  it  cries.  It  knows  no  other  way  of  expressing 
itself.  If  it  be  hungry,  it  cries  ;  if  it  be  over-fed,  it  cries  : 
if  it  be  pricked  by  a  pin,  it  cries.  So,  also,  if  it  lie  too 
long  in  one  position,  the  pressure  upon  that  part  of  the 
body  becomes  annoying  and  it  cries.  If  it  be  exposed  to 
heat  or  cold  beyond  what  its  delicate  frame  is  accustomed 
to,  or  if  its  clothes  be  too  tight,  it  cries.  From  these  and  a 
multitude  of  other  causes  it  is  inconvenienced,  and  for  each 
and  all  of  them  it  expresses  its  discomfort  by  the  same 
token  —  it  cries.  Ignorant  nurses  and  inexperienced 
mothers  have  but  one  sovereign  remedy  for  crying.  No 


FOOD    OF   INFANTS.  51 

intelligent  inquiry  is  made  as  to  the  cause  of  the  crying, 
nor  effort  made  to  remove  it.  No,  the  child  is  at  once  put 
to  the  breast  or  the  bottle  as  the  sovereign  balm,  the  sole 
remedial  agent. 

Most  mothers  labor  under  the  conviction  that  when- 
ever a  child  cries,  the  first  and  most  important  thing  is  to 
stop  the  crying.  This  is  not  the  case.  Crying  is  not 
necessarily  injurious  to  the  child.  On  the  contrary,  it  is 
often  a  benefit.  It  is  a  provision  made  by  Nature  for  indi- 
cating discomfort,  and  at  the  same  time  it  serves  as  a  vent 
for  the  pent-up  emotions.  Adults  often  find  relief  in  a 
flood  of  tears  from  a  burden  of  grief  that  has  long  oppressed 
the  heart.  To  some  extent  this  is  true  of  children,  only 
that  in  the  case  of  the  latter,  the  ills  are  always  of  a  purely 
physical  origin.  As  they  grow  older,  they  are  grieved 
and  hurt  in  their  intellectual  and  emotional  natures,  and 
still  give  expression  and  find  relief  in  crying.  In  the  case 
of  infants,  it  is  only  when  crying  is  oft-repeated  or  long- 
continued  that  it  is  really  detrimental. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  crying,  and  the  intelligent 
mother  will  soon  learn  to  discriminate  between  them 
readily.  It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  some  very 
good  mothers  never  learn  to  distinguish  these  —  always 
confound  them,  or  treat  them  as  identical.  The  cry  of 
the  infant,  as  has  been  said,  is  its  signal  of  distress  ;  the 
only  means  known  to  itself  to  ask  for  relief  on  such  occa- 
sions, is  easily  distinguishable  from  tlie  wail  which  betokens 
real  disease.  There  is  a  great  difference  in  the  tones  of 
the  adult  confined  to  his  bed  from  some  ill  which  affects 


sU'keEi 


52  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

only  one  portion  of  the  body,  as  a  wound,  a  cut  or  a 
broken  limb,  and  in  those  which  come  from  the  same  person 
when  a  disease  which  affects  his  whole  system  confines 
him  there.  There  is  the  same  difference  in  the  cries  of 
the  infant  when  pricked  by  a  pin,  oppressed  with  its  cloth- 
ing, heat,  cold  or  over-feeding,  and  when  it  is  in  the 
grasp  of  some  infantile  disease  which  produces  keen  suffer- 
ing with  attendant  danger. 

The  infant  requires  to  be  fed  during  the  night  as  well 
as  during  the  day,  but  not  so  frequently.  At  the  first, 
three  times  are  amply  sufficient  for  its  good  and  that  of 
the  mother.  In  a  little  time,  twice  or  even  once  during 
the  entire  night,  will  be  enough.  The  habit  of  some 
mothers  of  allowing  the  child  to  lie  all  night  long  on  the 
maternal  arm,  with  mouth  to  the  breast,  is  not  only  greatly 
exhausting  to  the  mother,  even  though  she  have  the 
greatest  robustness,  but  is  detrimental  to  the  highest  good 
of  the  child.  If  the  mother  be  delicate  and  yet  able  to 
nurse  her  child  with  ordinary  care  of  her  health,  she 
should  be  allowed  undisturbed  repose  during  the  night. 
The  care  of  the  child  should  be  given  to  the  nurse  entirely. 
By  this  means,  the  mother  will  be  enabled  to  nurse  during 
the  day,  and  both  she  and  the  child  will  be  better  for  the 
temporary  separation.  If,  however,  she  attempt  to  nurse 
when  she  may  be  physically  unfitted  for  the  drain  on  her 
system,  she  will  do  the  child  no  real  good,  and  is  liable  to 
permanently  injure  her  own  health.  Nothing  is  more 
essential  to  the  well-being  of  a  child  than  that  its  mother 
should  enjoy  the  most  perfect  health  attainable.  To  secure 


THE   NURSERY.  53 

and  maintain  this,  the  mother  must  deny  herself  the  grati  - 
fication,  at  times,  of  coming  to  the  relief  of  her  child. 
This  task  must  be  relegated  to  another.  No  wise,  pru- 
dent, thoughtful  and  far-seeing  mother  will  allow  herself 
to  become  the  slave  of  her  child.  It  is  her  natural  and 
reasonable  duty  to  he  the  teacher  and  master  of  her  child. 
She  should  set  rules  for  its  conduct,  not  govern  her  own 
conduct  by  its  whims  and  caprices.  She  should  compel 
it  to  obey  her  will  rather  than  allow  herself  to  follow  its 
dictation.  It  is  not  unnatural  selfishness,  but  a  wise  and 
prudent  forethought  which  determines  a  mother  to  look 
after  her  own  comfort  and  well-being,  as  at  least  equal  to 
the  claims  of  her  child  upon  her. 

The  Nursery. 

Investigation  has  been  made,  at  some  length,  into  the 
peculiarities  of  the  constitution  of  the  new-born  infant, 
the  proper  management  of  this  infant  at  its  birth,  the  best 
modes  of  caring  for  it  in  giving  nourishment,  and  the 
dangers  to  be  avoided  in  this  regard.  It  is  now  proper  to 
advert  to  the  surroundings  of  the  child  during  its  earlier 
years,  and  the  influence  which  these  surroundings  have 
on  its  healthful  development.  Experience  has  indicated 
the  circumstances  and  appliances  which  tend  most  to  good 
results.  Some  of  these  have  a  marked  influence,  not  only 
on  the  present  comfort  and  health  of  the  child,  but  con- 
dition to  a  large  degree  the  status  of  its  future. 

With  regard  to  certain  of  the  external  influences,  such 
as  the  locality  in  which  the  life  is  passed  and  the  air 


54  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

breathed,  the  action  upon  the  infant  constitution  is  so 
decided  and  invariable  that  no  difficulty  is  experienced  in 
laying  down  rules  and  regulations.  Other  surroundings, 
such  as  food,  clothing,  exercise,  vary  so  greatly  in  their 
effects  by  reason  of  age,  robustness,  inherited  constitution, 
etc.,  that  no  general  and  invariable  rules  can  be  formulated. 
A  great  deal  of  discrimination  must  be  exercised,  and 
many  of  the  best  suggestions  in  one  case  must  be  modified 
when  applied  in  another.  Very  often  it  will  be  of  greatest 
importance  that  the  counsel  of  the  medical  attendant  be 
secured,  in  order  to  determine  how  such  surroundings 
may  be  regulated  so  as  to  secure  the  highest  benefits.  As 
many  of  the  conditions  of  infantile  health  are  more  or  less 
connected  with  the  nursery,  it  will  be  convenient  to  treat 
all  of  them  under  this  topic. 

A  nursery,  well-arranged,  well-situated,  and  well- 
managed  is  of  far  more  importance  to  the  health  of  the 
infant  than  is  generally  conceded.  The  reason  of  this  is 
that  the  nursery  combines  within  its  range,  various  agents 
which  are  constantly,  though  silently,  affecting  the  con- 
stitution and  exerting  an  influence  for  good  or  evil  upon 
the  whole  physical  economy  of  the  child.  In  the  climate 
of  our  country  the  infants  of  the  middle  and  higher  classes 
of  society  must  be  kept  within  doors  perhaps  twenty  of 
the  twenty-four  hours  of  the  day.  When  this  is  considered, 
the  importance  of  having  the  purest  air  attainable  in  the 
room  in  which  this  time  is  spent,  becomes  evident.  An 
unsuitable  situation  or  imperfect  house-accommodation 
often  gives  rise  to  local  influences  under  which  infantile 


LIGHT   AND   AIR.  55 

health  succumbs.  On  the  other  hand,  in  favorable  sur- 
roundings, delicate  infants  may,  and  often  do,  grow  into 
healthy  adults.  In  the  government  of  large  cities,  inquiry 
is  directed  to  the  sanitary  accommodations  of  the  inhabi- 
tants, and  certain  rules  are  laid  down,  by  the  observance 
of  which  the  general  health  is  greatly  improved. 

It  may  be  objected,  perhaps,  that  among  the  poorer 
classes,  and  even  among  the  less  wealthy  of  the  middle 
ranks,  necessity  and  not  suitableness  must  determine  the 
choice  of  a  home  location  and  the  appropriation  of  the 
rooms  of  this  home.  Admitting  this,  it  is  still  worthy  of 
consideration  that  the  local  conditions  and  domestic 
arrangements  most  conducive  to  health  be  well  under- 
stood. Even  among  the  poorer  classes  there  are  few 
who,  once  convinced  of  the  existence  of*an  evil,  would  not 
be  ready  and  able  to  do  something  toward  relieving  the 
disadvantages  under  which  labor  their  children  and  them- 
selves as  well.  At  the  worst,  they  may  be  able  to  choose 
between  a  greater  and  a  lesser  evil.  If  they  are  obliged 
to  reside  within  a  certain  distance  of  their  place  of  work- 
ing, they  may  still  have  it  within  their  power  to  choose 
between  a  bad  and  a  worse  locality,  a  better  or  a  worse 
house  in  which  to  dwell.  Before  such  choice  can  be 
made,  the  influence  of  surroundings  upon  their  own  and 
their  children's  health  must  be  understood. 

Light  and    Air. 

The  first  and  most  essential  requisite  in  a  nursery  is  a 
constant  and  abundant  supply  of  fresh  air.  To  obtain 
this,  a  house  should  be  selected,  if  possible,  in  a  dry  and 


56  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

rather  elevated  situation,  sheltered  from  the  violence  of 
the  wind  and  sufficiently  removed  from  all  sources  of  con- 
tamination. A  residence  in  the  open,  free  country  is 
better,  in  this  regard,  than  one  in  a  city  or  village.  The 
close  proximity  of  trees  and  dense  shrubbery,  of  ponds, 
undrained  fields,  or  sluggish  water-courses  should  be 
carefully  avoided.  However  ornamental  such  trees  and 
shrubbery  may  be,  they  are  invariably  prejudicial  to 
health.  Narrow  valleys  and  localities  shut  in  by  thick 
groves,  or  overhung  by  high  hills,  should  never  be  chosen 
as  the  site  of  the  home,  nor  the  location  of  a  village. 
From  overlooking  the  influence  of*  stagnant,  humid  air, 
families  going  to  the  country  in  pursuit  of  health  often 
sustain  serious  injury  by  settling  in  localities  that  a  little 
previous  knowledge  and  forethought  would  have  enabled 
them  to  avoid. 

A  good  exposure  is  an  important  consideration  in  the 
location  of  a  nursery.  In  a  cold  and  uncertain  climate 
like  that  which  is  found  in  many  parts  of  our  country,  a 
southern  aspect  is  very  desirable.  It  is  warmer  and  more 
cheerful  every  way,  and  is  more  available  for  the  reception 
of  the  sunlight,  which  as  a  gentle  and  wholesome  stimulus 
to  health  and  growth,  is  scarcely  less  important  in  animal 
than  in  vegetable  life. 

A  situation  with  a  bright  and  cheery  outlook  is  par- 
ticularly desirable.  Such  a  prospect  operates  powerfully 
on  both  the  health  and  character  of  the  child.  It  is  one 
of  those  intangible  agencies  which  go  on  from  day  to  day 
working  out  a  great  change  in  the  very  nature  of  the  child. 


LIGHT   AND   AIR.  57 

It  is  quite  difficult  to  tell  how  this  is  done  ;  it  is  enough  to 
know  that  it  is  done.  The  budding  nature  of  the  infant 
or  child  is  very  susceptible  to  the  subtle  influences  of 
natural  objects.  If  these  be  bright  and  cheerful,  the 
nature  will  develop  into  a  bright,  cheerful,  hopeful,  opti- 
mistic caste  which  will  shed  its  brightness  and  happiness 
all  along  the  course  of  life.  A  heavy,  dead,  dreary  land- 
scape, constantly  displayed  before  the  plastic  mind, 
cannot  fail  to  leave  its  impression. 

There  are  many  other  things  in  the  location  of  a  home 
which  have  an  important  bearing  upon  the  health  of  the 
children  which  may  be  reared  in  it.  The  salubrity  is 
conditioned,  to  a  considerable  degree,  upon  the  character 
of  the  soil  and  the  sufficiency  of  the  drainage.  A  dry  and 
gravelly  soil  is  much  more  likely  to  possess  these  requisites 
than  any  other  sort.  All  these  matters  of  minor  detail 
should  not  be  overlooked,  where  the  opportunity  for 
making  choice  exists,  because  they  all  may  have  an 
important  bearing  on  the  future  of  the  family.  There  are 
many  homes  scattered  all  over  this  country  from  which 
some  children  have  been  taken  away  in  death.  In  many 
of  these  cases,  no  doubt,  the  cause  of  the  death  of  the  little 
ones  existed  in  some  sanitary  imperfection  in  or  about  the 
dwelling.  Where  a  human  life  is  the  consideration, 
nothing  is  too  small  or  too  insignificant  for  careful 
attention. 

In  selecting  rooms  for  the  nursery,  those  having  a 
southern  exposure  are  preferable,  and  this  for  the  reason 
already  given,  that  sunshine  is  an  important  factor  in 


58         MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

giving  and  maintaining  health.  That  the  room  should  be 
large,  easily  warmed  and  ventilated  will  be  readily 
admitted.  Without  such  conditions,  it  will  be  next  to 
impossible  to  surround  the  infant  with  that  pure  and 
invigorating  air  so  indispensable  to  good,  healthy  life.  In 
one  respect  pure  air  is  more  essential  to  the  formation  of 
good  blood  than  proper  food,  and  that  is,  that  the  influence 
of  the  air  upon  the  blood  is  constant  ;  it  never  ceases  for 
a  single  moment  during  life.  By  night  and  by  day, 
sleeping  or  waking,  respiration  goes  on,  and  every  breath 
is  fraught  with  benefit  or  injury,  according  as  the  air 
inhaled  may  be  pure  or  vitiated.  It  is  no  wonder  that  a 
cause  thus  operating  so  unremittingly  should,  after  a  lapse 
of  time,  produce  a  marked  change  in  the  condition  of  the 
whole  system.  Of  all  the  injurious  influences  by  which 
childhood  is  surrounded,  none  operates  more  profoundly 
or  with  greater  certainty  than  the  breathing  of  vitiated  air. 
On  the  contrary,  few  things  have  such  an  immediate  and 
decided  effect  in  restoring  the  health  of  a  feeble  child  as  a 
change  from  an  impure  to  a  pure  atmosphere.  Bad  food 
and  bad  air  are  the  natural  parents  of  that  greatest  scourge 
of  the  human  family,  scrofula.  Either  of  them  may  cause 
it,  but  when  both  are  combined,  as  is  often  the  case  among 
the  poor,  who  are  crowded  into  the  narrow  alleys  and 
cellars  of  our  great  cities,  there  will  scrofula  be  found  in 
its  worst  form.  Among  certain  of  the  lower  animals,  as 
the  sheep,  a  scrofulous  condition  can  be  produced  at  will 
by  simply  confining  the  animal  to  an  impoverishing  diet 
and  in  a  place  where  it  must  constantly  breath  a  contam- 


TEMPERATURE.  59 

inated  air.     The  same  is  true  —  must  be  true  —  of  human 
beings. 

Temperature. 

After  suitable  food,  pure  air  and  abundant  sunshine, 
the  next  important  provision  for  a  good  nursery  is  a  reg- 
ular temperature.  Its  importance  consists  in  the  fact  that, 
like  the  air  breathed,  it  is  a  constant  agent.  The  atmos- 
phere of  the  room  for  the  first  few  weeks  should  never  be 
allowed  to  fall  below  65  °  Fahrenheit.  For  the  first  few 
days  it  may  safely  and  properly  be  raised  to  70  °  .  When 
such  a  temperature  is  maintained,  careful  attention  should 
be  given  to  the  ventilation.  Excessive  heat  without 
proper  regard  to  ventilation  is  not  to  be  allowed  at  any 
time.  An  open  fire-place,  where  it  can  be  had,  possesses 
a  decided  advantage  over  any  other  mode  of  heating,  on 
account  of  the  ventilation  thus  secured.  In  some  other 
regards,  it  is  not  so  desirable.  By  the  constant  rush  of 
fresh  air  to  the  fire,  cold  draughts  from  the  doors  and 
windows  are  created.  These  air  streams  are  many,  and  it 
is  next  to  impossible  to  prevent  the  infant  from  coming 
in  contact  with  some  of  them  and  from  suffering  incon- 
venience thereby.  This  danger  may  be  averted  to  a  con- 
siderable extent  by  so  placing  a  large  screen  that  it  will 
intercept  these  air-currents,  and  so  distribute  the  continual 
increase  of  fresh  air  that  its  effect  will  not  be  felt  in  any 
one  place  so  decidedly  as  to  be  injurious. 

This  fire-screen  is  all  the  more  necessary  when  the 
temperature  of  the  external  atmosphere  is  considerably 


6O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

below  that  of  the  room,  as  in  the  winter  season.  At  such 
times  every  opening  of  the  door  will  admit  a  rush  of  cold 
air,  not  enough  to  inconvenience  an  adult  in  good  health, 
but  quite  enough  to  be  dangerous  to  a  delicate  child.  A 
wire-screen  should  also  inclose  the  fire-place  as  a  protec- 
tion against  accidents,  when  the  child  becomes  old  enough 
to  move  about  by  itself.  Its  eyes  should  at  all  times  be 
guarded  against  the  heat  and  glare  of  a  bright  fire.  Seri- 
ous inflammation  is  often  traceable  to  this  cause.  The 
same  precaution  should  be  taken  with  children  as  with 
infants  in  this  particular. 

An  over-heated  nursery  should  be  avoided  as  much  as 
one  that  is  too  cold.  When  the  temperature  is  habitually 
too  high  there  invariably  follows  a  relaxation  of  the  ner- 
vous system  with  an  attendant  excitability.  This  tends 
to  the  development  of  irritative  and  convulsive  complaints 
for  which  children  have  a  natural  disposition,  and  which 
so  frequently  lead  to  a  fatal  termination.  An  additional 
risk  incurred  by  keeping  an  abnormally  high  temperature 
in  the  nursery  is  the  effect  of  a  sudden  transition  when  the 
child  is  taken  out  of  the  room.  The  frequency  of  inflamma- 
tory diseases  among  children  arises  mainly  from  causes 
like  those  given.  The  natural  tendency  of  the  human 
economy  is  to  accommodate  itself  to  its  surroundings.  If 
a  child  be  kept  for  the  greater  part  of  the  time  in  a  room 
of  high  temperature,  it  logically  follows  that  its  own 
powers  of  generating  heat  will  be  kept  dormant.  If  it  be 
taken  for  the  remainder  of  the  time  into  a  temperature 
much  lower,  there  will  be  a  greater  liability  to  suffer  than 


WEANING.  6l 

if  it  had  been  kept  all  the  time  in  an  atmosphere  of  much 
lower  temperature. 

From  what  has  been  here  said,  it  must  be  apparent  to 
all  that  there  are  few  things  of  more  importance  to  parents 
than  a  thorough  understanding  and  application  of  the 
hygienic  rules  in  the  care  of  their  children.  The  well- 
being,  and  often  the  very  life  of  their  children  depends 
largely  upon  the  intelligent  application  of  these  laws. 
They  are  all  founded  in  Nature  and  approved  by  reason  and 
common  sense.  But  reason  and  common  sense  are  not 
adequate,  in  every  case,  to  a  ready  interpretation  of  Nature 
and  her  teachings.  It  is  advisable  always  that  those  upon 
whom  the  responsibility  of  other  lives  rests  should  care- 
fully study  the  recorded  experiences  of  those  who  have 
made  intelligent  study  of  the  laws  of  health. 

Weaning. 

The  weaning  of  the  child,  by  which  it  is  taken  away 
from  its  dependence  upon  its  mother  for  sustenance,  is  an 
important  epoch.  It  is  not,  however,  a  matter  of  so  much 
concern  nowadays  as  it  was  formerly. 

The  time  of  weaning  ought  to  be  determined  chiefly 
by  two  circumstances  —  the  condition  of  the  mother, 
especially  her  health,  and  the  development  of  the  child. 
When  the  health  of  the  mother  continues  robust  and  the 
supply  of  milk  is  abundant,  the  weaning  should  take  place 
when  the  child  is  ten  or  twelve  months  old,  provided  it 
evidences,  by  the  development  of  its  teeth,  that  such  a 
change  is  proper  and  safe.  In  delicate  children,  teething 


62  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

is  often  delayed  longer  than  this  by  several  months. 
When  this  is  the  case,  the  weaning  time  should  always  be 
deferred  until  the  child  is  better  prepared  for  the  change 
in  its  life.  There  are  occasional  instances  where  the  first 
teeth  do  not  appear  for  a  year  and  even  beyond  that  time, 
and  yet  the  child  is  not  noticeably  delicate.  This  is, 
ordinarily,  a  family  peculiarity. 

The  general  condition  and  development  of  the  child, 
rather  than  the  state  of  its  teeth,  should  determine  the 
time  for  weaning.  In  weak,  scrofulous  children  the  teeth 
are  very  often  late  in  appearing.  This  may  be  taken  as 
an  indication  that  the  breast  should  still  be  the  chief  source 
of  nourishment,  whatever  the  age  may  be.  If,  however, 
the  child  do  not  appear  to'  thrive  as  it  should,  its  nourish- 
ment should  be  supplemented  by  some  such  diet  as 
chicken-broth,  given  once  or  twice  a  day.  If  it  improve 
under  this  regimen,  it  may  be  taken  as  an  indication  that 
weaning  may  be  begun  ;  also,  that  the  better  way  will  be 
found  in  a  gradual  leading  away  from  the  dependence 
upon  the  mother.  The  weaning  process  will  be  longer, 
but  it  will  be  safer  and  better  for  the  child.  The  reference 
and  suggestions  here  are  to  the  exceptional  cases,  which, 
however,  are  not  infrequent. 

If,  before  the  expiration  of  the  usual  period  of  nursing, 
the  supply  of  milk  be  insufficient  for  the  demands  of  the 
child,  and  the  health  of  the  mother  evidently  suffer,  it 
becomes  necessary,  for  the  sake  of  both  mother  and  child, 
that  the  weaning  shall  be  gradually  begun  even  before 
there  is  any  indication  of  the  teeth  appearing.  In  a  case 


WEANING.  63 

like  this,  the  premature  weaning  is  a  necessity,  and  the 
exception  to  the  rule  is  insisted  upon  only  on  the  ground 
of  necessity.  Here,  as  everywhere,  necessity  knows  no 
law.  It  is  a  choice  between  two  evils.  To  defer  the 
weaning  is  to  invite  greater  danger  than  to  precipitate  it. 
In  this  exceptional  case,  as  in  that  noted  above,  the  wean- 
ing should  be  a  gradual  process.  A  little  nourishment 
should  be  given,  and  its  effects  upon  the  child  noted.  If 
there  be  no  apparent  deleterious  results,  the  quantity 
should  be  increased  by  degrees,  and  the  times  of  such 
feeding  increased.  It  will  thus  be  led  away  from  its 
dependence  upon  the  mother,  and,  when  finally  separated 
from  her,  the  change  will  be  so  slight  that  its  effects  will 
not  be  noticed.  Almost  equal  disadvantages  attend  a 
precipitated  and  a  deferred  weaning  time.  The  develop- 
ment of  the  teeth  and  the  general  condition  of  the  child 
should  always  determine  the  time,  unless  there  be  some 
peculiar  circumstances  in  the  case,  of  which  the  physician 
is  the  best  judge.  It  is  fortunate  for  the  child  if  the 
weaning  can  be  done  in  pleasant  weather.  It  can  then  be 
kept  much  in  the  open  air,  and  its  nervous  irritability,  a 
common  accompaniment  of  weaning,  will  be  greatly  alle- 
viated thereby. 

The  one  important  rule  in  weaning  is  to  accustom 
the  child,  gradually,  to  the  use  of  other  nourishment  than 
that  supplied  by  the  mother.  In  former  times  the  custom 
was  to  bring  this  about  shortly  and  suddenly.  Injury  to 
both  mother  and  child  was  not  infrequently  the  sequel  to 
such  heroic  treatment.  The  rule  now  is  as  stated.  And 


64  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

experience  has  proved  that  in  all  ordinary  cases,  the  end 
reached  by  this  gradual  process  is  seldom  attended  with 
any  inconvenience  worthy  of  consideration.  As  soon  as 
the  front  teeth  appear,  some  light  food  should  be  given  at 
from  one  to  three  times  a  day.  As  the  quantity  given  is 
increased,  there  is  a  lessening  of  the  desire  for  nursing. 
As  this  method  is  continued,  almost  a  distaste  for  the 
mother's  milk  will  be  created  in  the  increasing  taste  for 
other  nourishment.  When  this  state  is  reached,  the  com- 
plete weaning  is  comparatively  an  easy  matter,  and 
attended  with  little  trouble  to  either  child  or  mother. 
The  weaning  ought  never  to  be  undertaken  when  the 
child  is  ill.  Not  even  when  it  is  suffering  from  the  nervous 
irritation  consequent  on  teething.  The  risk  of  convulsions 
and  intestinal  disorders  is  greatly  increased  at  such  times. 
If  at  all  possible,  let  a  time  be  chosen  when  the  child  is 
in  the  best  condition,  and  when  the  weather  is  favorable 
for  the  out-door  exercise,  as  stated  before. 

After  the  child  has  been  weaned,  its  principal  food 
should  still  consist  of  liquid  or  semi-liquid  substances. 
Let  it  be  of  the  same  kind  as  has  constituted  its  supple- 
mentary diet  for  some  time.  No  considerable  deviation 
should  be  made  in  this  regard  until  after  the  appearance 
of  the  eye-teeth.  As  growth  continues,  changes  in  the 
quality  of  the  diet  may  be  gradually  made.  An  important 
matter  to  be  guarded  against  is  a  too-plentiful  or  a 
too-frequent  supply  of  food  immediately  subsequent  to 
weaning. 


SOURCES    OF   DANGER   IN   WEANING.  65 


Sources   of   Danger   in    Weaning. 

One  of  the  chief  sources  of  danger  at  the  time  of 
weaning  lies  with  the  mother  herself,  or  the  nurse.  It  is 
the  tendency  to  consider  every  cry  of  the  child  as  an  indi- 
cation of  hunger  which  it  is  her  duty  to  immediately 
satisfy.  Good  sense  and  prudent  judgment  are  necessary 
to  restrain  the  mother  from  yielding  to  this  impulsive 
instinct.  If  she  yield,  she  is  likely  to  unwittingly  increase 
the  natural  irritability  of  the  infantile  constitution,  until, 
by  too-frequent  feeding,  indigestion  is  established  and 
irritability  propelled  into  disease.  It  certainly  is  trying 
to  a  mother's  affectionate  emotions  to  see  apparent  suffer- 
ing in  her  child.  It  is  a  much  more  painful  experience 
when  she  discovers  that  she  has  been  instrumental  in  con- 
verting a  temporary  evil  into  a  serious  menace  to  the  life 
of  her  child.  It  is  entirely  in  the  nature  of  things  that 
the  child  should  be  irritable,  peevish  and  complaining  for 
a  brief  time  subsequent  to  weaning.  It  is  a  great  change 
to  it,  and,  like  grown  people,  it  rebels  against  change. 
If  it  be  rightly  managed,  this  irritability  will  pass  in  a  few 
days,  and  the  child  be  as  it  was  before. 

When  there  is  a  marked  increase  of  the  appetite 
amounting  to  a  craving  soon  after  weaning,  and  when  it 
is  attended  by  an  appreciable  fullness  in  the  abdominal 
region,  attention  should  be  immediately  given.  In  gene- 
ral, this  may  be  set  down  as  a  symptom  of  over-feeding,  or 
of  too-rich  food.  This,  of  course,  is  improper,  and  should 
be  discontinued  immediately.  If  persevered  in  the  child's 


66  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

health  will  suffer  from  intestinal  irritation  or  inflamma- 
tion, from  which  there  will  result  a  glandular  enlarge- 
ment. Following  this,  there  will  be  diarrhea,  or 
looseness  of  the  bowels.  Large  quantities  of  indigested 
food  will  be  seen  in  the  excrement.  The  child  will 
become  feverish,  grow  more  and  more  restless  until  its 
very  life  will  be  threatened.  From  this  it  will  appear 
that  the  utmost  care  must  be  exercised  in  the  quantity 
and  quality  of  the  diet  allowed  the  child  immediately 
after  weaning.  Over-feeding  and  over-rich  diet  are  the 
two  main  sources  of  danger.  It  is  rare  indeed  that  evil 
is  found  to  have  been  wrought  by  the  opposite  course. 
The  child  had  better  be  kept  a  little  hungry  than  that 
its  stomach  be  overloaded. 

Wet    Nurse. 

The  choice  of  a  nurse  should  rarely  be  made  without 
the  advice  and  sanction  of  a  trustworthy  physician.  It  is 
his  province  and  duty  to  inquire  carefully  into  the  con- 
dition of  the  nurse's  health.  There  are  good  reasons  for 
believing  that  this  most  responsible  duty  is  too  frequently 
performed  in  a  very  careless  manner.  In  many  instances, 
the  general  appearance  of  the  nurse  is  taken  as  a  certain 
index  of  her  suitableness.  A  decision  based  upon  such 
deceitful  data  is  not  valuable.  There  may  be  constitu- 
tional defects  in  an  apparently  robust  woman  which 
render  her  the  very  opposite  of  a  good  nurse. 

There  are  certain  requisites  which  afford  strong  pre- 
sumptive evidence  of  fitness  ;  these  should  always  influence 


WET   NURSE.  67 

the  decision.  Among  these  should  be  named  sound  health, 
good  constitution  and  freedom  from  any  hereditary  taint, 
a  moderate  plumpness,  clear  complexion,  bright,  cheerful 
ways,  well-conditioned  eye-lids,  red  lips,  without  cracks 
or  scurvy,  sound,  white  teeth,  well-formed  and  moder- 
ately large  breasts,  fair-sized  nipples,  free  from  sores  or 
fissures.  With  all  these  qualities,  it  is  still  necessary  to 
inquire  into  the  condition  of  the  physical  functions  in 
order  to  be  sure  that  a  plentiful  supply  of  nourishing  milk 
can  be  furnished.  This  may  be  done  by  examining  the 
condition  of  the  nurse's  own  child,  to  see  if  it  be  plump 
and  healthy,  or  thin  and  delicate.  The  quality  of  the 
milk  can  be  directly  tested  by  observing  its  color  ;  it  should 
be  a  bluish-white  with  a  somewhat  watery  consistency.  It 
should  have  a  sweetish  taste,  and  there  should  be  an 
absence  of  unpleasant  odor.  If  dropped  into  water,  it 
should  have  a  light,  cloudy  appearance,  and  not  sink  to 
the  bottom  in  drops. 

The  best  and  most  certain  test,  however,  is  that 
afforded  by  the  nurse's  own  child.  If  the  child  be  found 
healthy  and  cheerful,  and  clean  and  neatly  kept,  it  is 
quite  a  good  proof  of  the  suitableness  of  the  nurse.  If, 
on  the  contrary,  this  child  be  found  pale  and  sallow, 
peevish  and  fretful,  or  untidy,  the  evidence  of  unfitness  is 
sufficient  to  warrant  the  rejection  of  the  nurse. 

Securing  and  installing  a  nurse,  be  she  never  so  well 
adapted  for  her  duties,  does  not  end  the  mother's  respon- 
sibility. It  will  devolve  upon  the  mother  to  still  watch 
over  her  child.  She  must  see  that  its  needs  are  attended 


68  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

to  with  regularity  and  with  a  proper  spirit.  If  she  find 
that  the  nurse  is  regular  in  giving  the  child  its  nourish- 
ment, that  she  keeps  it  clean,  and  is  kind  and  patient  at 
all  times,  displaying  no  irritation  and  impatience  when 
her  own  comfort  is  disturbed  by  the  claims  of  the  child, 
the  mother  can,  to  a  large  degree,  dismiss  her  anxiety. 

Dangers  of  Feeding  Children. 

Dangers  of  Feeding  Children  is  so  nearly  allied  to  a 
previous  subject,  "  Food  for  Infants,"  that  many  of  the 
suggestions  and  admonitions  contained  in  that  chapter  are 
repeated  in  this  to  impress  on  the  mind  of  the  reader  the 
importance  of  these  seemingly  trivial  duties. 

Every  child  should,  if  at  all  possible,  be  brought  up  at 
the  breast.  It  is  Nature's  way,  and  it  is  the  best  way. 
This  cannot  always  be  done.  The  mother  sometimes  dies, 
or  is  physically  disqualified  for  nursing,  and  no  suitable 
nurse  can  be  procured.  In  such  circumstances,  there  is 
no  resource  save  in  artificial  nursing.  This  means  of  rear- 
ing a  child  should  never  be  resorted  to  except  where  it 
cannot  be  avoided.  It  is  never  as  good  as  the  natural 
way,  while  frequently  it  is  attended  with  serious  risks. 
If  the  child  possess  a  strong  constitution  and  its  general 
health  be  good,  it  will,  in  all  probability,  thrive  under 
artificial  nursing.  But  if  it  be  delicate,  the  chances 
against  its  survival  are  very  great.  Few  children  prema- 
turely born  can  be  reared  by  artificial  nursing.  If,  in 
addition  to  a  delicate  constitution,  the  child  suffer  from 
irritation  of  the  stomach  and  bowels  —  as  is  the  case 


DANGERS    OF   FEEDING   CHILDREN.  69 

almost  invariably  —  the  difficulties  and  dangers  are  aug- 
mented. The  nature  of  the  climate  and  the  season  of 
the  year,  too,  greatly  affect  results  in  nursing  children  by 
hand. 

Under  the  most  favorable  conditions  possible,  the 
artificial  nursing  of  children  is  attended  with  grave  risks. 
The  disadvantages  are  so  great  that  nothing  but  the  most 
careful  management,  the  most  judicious  and  untiring 
attention  on  the  part  of  the  nurse  or  mother,  combined 
with  constant  vigilance  and  the  sacrifice  of  much  time, 
can  overcome  them.  In  favorable  circumstances,  how- 
ever, many  children  are  reared  in  this  way,  and  become 
strong  men  and  women.  If  it  were  possible  to  always 
secure  these  favorable  conditions,  it  would  not  be  neces- 
sary to  inveigh  so  strenuously  against  the  artificial 
method. 

When  a  child  is  to  be  reared  by  artificial  nursing,  it 
will  be  necessary  to  determine  the  kind  of  nourishment 
best  adapted  to  this  end,  and  also  the  manner  in  which 
this  nourishment  shall  be  administered.  This  subject  has 
already  been  treated  somewhat  in  detail ;  it  will  suffice 
in  this  place  to  recall  that  the  principal  thing  to  be  aimed 
at  is  to  discover  a  substitute  for  the  milk  of  the  mother 
which  most  nearly  resembles  it  in  constituent  elements. 
When  this  is  found,  the  best  substitute  is  found.  There  is 
a  perfect  adaptation  of  the  mother's  supply  and  the 
infant's  demand.  If  the  milk  of  the  mother  be  nearly 
approximated  in  quality  by  something  else,  the  demands 
of  the  delicate  digestive  organs  of  the  child  will  be  most 


70  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

nearly  met.  For  these  reasons  the  milk  of  the  ass  has 
the  preference  of  that  of  any  other  animal  ;  but  as  this 
is  seldom  attainable,  cow's  milk,  properly  diluted,  must 
be  taken.  The  amount  of  dilution  and  the  addition  of 
sugar  has  already  been  adverted  to. 

This  cow's  milk  should  be  given  at  nearly  the  same 
temperature  as  that  of  the  mother's  milk  ;  that  is,  at 
about  a  temperature  of  97°  or  98°  Fahrenheit.  In 
general,  little  attention  is  paid  to  this  particular  by 
nurses.  It  is  of  considerable  importance,  however.  The 
condition  of  the  infant  is  such  that  a  temperature  of  this 
degree  is  best  suited  to  it.  A  common  thermometer, 
procured  at  a  trifling  cost,  will  enable  any  one  to  deter- 
mine the  temperature  with  sufficient  precision.  In  pre- 
paring the  milk,  it  is  preferable  to  warm  the  water  with 
which  it  is  to  be  diluted  before  pouring  it  into  the  milk. 
This  is  much  better  than  by  reducing  the  milk  to  the 
proper  consistency,  and  then  heating  the  whole  com- 
pound. Both  the  water  and  the  milk  should  be  pure  and 
fresh,  and  on  no  account  should  any  portion  remaining 
after  feeding  be  set  aside  to  be  reheated  for  a  future  time. 
There  is  no  economy  in  such  a  course.  On  the  contrary, 
by  it  severe  and  troublesome  cases  of  indigestion  have 
often  been  produced.  After  one  or  two  experiments  the 
amount  required  for  each  nursing  will  be  known,  and 
only  this  quantity  will  be  prepared  each  time. 

In  giving  the  milk  to  the  child,  the  method  of  Nature 
should  again  be  imitated.  In  nursing  from  the  breast  the 
milk  is  extracted  slowly  and  in  small  quantities.  It  is 


DANGERS   OF   FEEDING   CHILDREN.  7 1 

important  to  remember  this.  The  nursing-bottle  is 
admirably  adapted  to  secure  this  end.  It  consists  of  a 
glass  bottle  with  a  tube  of  prepared  rubber  passing 
through  the  cork.  One  end  connects  with  the  milk  in  the 
bottle,  while  on  the  other  is  fitted  an  artificial  nipple.  In 
using  this  apparatus,  the  utmost  cleanliness  is  indis- 
pensable. Neither  bottle  nor  tube  should  be  laid  aside 
after  nursing  without  being  thoroughly  washed  in  warm 
water.  Each  should  then  be  laid  in  cold  water  until  it  is 
needed  again  ;  this  precaution  is  necessary  in  order  to 
prevent  any  sour  taste  or  disagreeable  smell  being  created 
through  the  fermentation  of  particles  of  milk  adhering. 
The  points  named  above  should  be  rigidly  observed  — 
namely,  the  most  perfect  cleanliness,  the  use  of  only  pure 
and  fresh  milk,  and  the  rejection  of  any  remaining 
quantity.  The  importance  of  these  suggestions  is  readily 
admitted  by  any  one  who  has  observed  the  rapidity  with 
which  milk  becomes  acidulated  and  gives  rise  to  unpleasant 
odor  and  taste 

The  intervals  at  which  the  child  should  be  fed  and  the 
quantity  of  food  to  be  given  at  each  time,  are  matters  of 
importance.  Here,  as  always,  it  is  best  to  go  to  Nature 
for  suggestion  and  information.  In  natural  nursing,  it  has 
been  already  observed  that  proper  intervals  should  be 
arranged  at  which  the  child  should  have  access  to  its 
mother's  breast.  These  periods  are  equally  necessary  in 
artificial  nursing.  The  first  sign  given  by  the  child  of 
indifference  for  the  bottle  may  safely  be  taken  as  an  indica- 
tion that  it  has  had  sufficient  for  that  time,  and  the  bottle 


72  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD, 

should  be  removed.  As  a  general  rule,  from  one  to  four 
tablespoonfuls  of  milk  for  the  first  two  or  three  weeks  are 
amply  sufficient,  increasing  the  quantity  as  the  child  grows 
older  and  stronger.  The  intervals  between  the  times  of 
feeding  should  follow  the  same  rule  as  those  laid  down  in 
natural  nursing,  noticed  in  a  previous  chapter.  Many 
nurses,  ignorantly  assuming  that  liquid  foods  contain  but 
little  substance,  administer  it  too  frequently  and  in  quan- 
tities too  large.  The  effect  of  this  is  to  oppress  the 
stomach  and  excite  vomiting. 

If  the  child  thrive  and  sleep  well,  the  proportion  of 
water  may  be  gradually  diminished  after  the  third  or 
fourth  week.  At  the  end  of  the  fourth  or  fifth  month,  if 
it  continue  well  and  hearty,  the  dilution  may  be  discon- 
tinued entirely.  Care  should  be  taken  to  procure  milk 
from  a  sound,  healthy  cow,  and  from  the  same  cow 
continuously,  if  possible.  Attention  should  also  be  given 
to  the  feeding  of  this  cow,  noting  that  the  food  and  water 
upon  which  she  subsists  is  of  the  best  quality,  clean  and 
pure.  The  quality  of  the  milk  yielded  depends  very 
greatly  upon  the  care  and  feeding  she  receives.  More, 
however,  depends  upon  the  quantity  and  regularity  of 
nursing  the  infant  than  upon  the  quality  of  the  milk  as  it 
comes  from  the  cow's  udder.  Many  of  the  stomach  and 
bowel  troubles  of  the  child  which  are  laid  to  the  quality 
of  the  milk  used  have  their  real  cause  in  excessive  and 
irregular  feeding  of  proper  food. 

In  infancy  the  natural  tendency  is  to  excitement  in  the 
digestive  organs.  For  this  reason,  milk  and  farinaceous 


TEETHING.  73 

substances  are  more  suitable  for  food.  Occasionally  a 
child  is  found  so  deficient  in  natural  constitutional  vigor  as 
to  require  some  stimulus.  In  such  a  case,  chicken  tea,  or 
even  beef  tea  may  be  given  to  advantage.  Such  tea 
should  be  made  very  weak  and  given  in  very  minute 
quantities  at  a  time.  In  changing  the  diet  of  the  child  for 
whatever  cause,  it  is  always  incumbent  to  give  careful 
scrutiny  to  effects.  The  first  indication  that  the  kind  or 
quantity  is  injuring  the  child  should  be  sufficient  to  deter- 
mine a  halt.  Prevention  is  always  better  than  cure.  By 
closely  watching  the  effects  of  a  change  of  any  sort,  the 
mother  can  readily  decide  whether  her  child  is  being 
benefited  or  injured  by  it,  and  she  should  govern  future 
conduct  accordingly. 

Teething. 

During  the  earlier  months  of  infancy  the  child  is 
nourished  from  its  mother's  breast.  The  power  of  suction 
is  all  that  is  required.  The  tongue,  lips  and  cheeks  fully 
supply  this  requirement.  In  furtherance  of  this  design,  the 
jaws  are  short,  shallow  and  toothless  ;  the  muscles  by 
which  they  are  moved,  feeble  and  of  delicate  structure. 
In  the  course  of  a  few  months,  as  the  child  develops,  and 
a  more  consistent  and  nutritious  food  becomes  necessary 
for  its  support,  a  corresponding  change  takes  place  in  the 
organism.  The  bones  of  the  face  begin  to  expand  ;  the 
jaws  increase  in  length,  depth  and  firmness  ;  the  gums 
become  more  elevated  and  harder  on  their  surface  ;  the 
cavity  of  the  mouth  enlarges  ;  the  muscles  that  move  the 


74  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

jaw  increase  in  size  and  power  ;  the  child  manifests  an 
increased  tendency  to  carry  to  its  mouth  everything  it  can 
lay  hold  on,  a  habit  which  aids  the  further  development  of 
the  bones  and  muscles  that  are  concerned  in  mastication. 

About  the  seventh  month  —  earlier  or  later  in  different 
children  —  there  begins  a  more  remarkable  change,  which 
does  not  terminate  until  the  end  of  the  second  year. 
This  is  the  teething  period,  the  proper  management  of 
which  is  essential  to  the  welfare  and  safety  of  the  child. 
Teething  is  a  process  of  Nature,  and  in  a  healthy  child,  if 
correctly  treated,  should  not  be  attended  with  especial 
danger.  But,  if  the  child  be  delicate,  or  the  management 
injudicious,  the  period  of  teething  is  productive  not  only 
of  danger  to  the  child,  but  also  of  no  little  care  and 
anxiety  to  the  parents.  Proper  knowledge  in  regard  to 
this  process  is,  therefore,  important. 

The  adaptation  of  Nature  to  the  varying  requirements 
of  physical  life  in  its  successive  stages  is  wonderfully 
appropriate.  From  the  infant  at  the  breast  teeth  are 
withheld,  because  these  appendages  would  not  only  be 
useless,  but  often  an  absolute  incumbrance,  interfering 
with  suckling.  At  a  later  period,  however,  when  fluids 
alone  no  longer  fulfill  the  demands  of  the  body,  teeth  are 
provided  for  the  mastication  of  solid  foo.d,  whereby  it  may 
be  broken,  mixed  with  the  juices  of  the  mouth,  and  more 
easily  swallowed  and  digested.  Feebleness  of  constitution 
or  the  effect  of  disease  frequently  retards  the  development 
of  the  system  and  delays  the  appearance  of  the  teeth  ; 
hence  the  period  of  weaning  the  child  and  changing  its 


TEETHING.  75 

diet  is  not  determined  solely  by  its  age.  With  the  major- 
ity of  children,  the  first  symptoms  of  teething  will  appear 
at  the  age  of  about  seven  months.  From  this  time  on 
until  the  full  set  is  eut  the  dangers  and  troubles  of  teething 
exist. 

The  first  stage  of  teething  is  indicated  by  heat  and 
irritation  of  the  mouth  and  general  constitutional  disturb- 
ance. Saliva  flows  in  unusual  quantity  from  the  mouth,  and 
the  infant  is  restless,  tears  and  smiles  succeeding  each 
other  at  intervals.  The  face  and  eyes  become  red,  appe- 
tite changeable,  and  thirst  considerable.  The  sleep  is 
disturbed,  and  general  uneasiness  pervades  the  body. 
The  gums,  which  at  first  were  unaltered,  become  swollen 
and  painful.  The  child  bites  at  everything  it  can  get 
into  its  mouth,  a  proceeding  which  appears  to  mitigate 
its  suffering.  The  bowels  at  this  time  are  generally 
very  loose,  which,  to  a  limited  degree,  is  beneficial. 
After  a  short  time  these  symptoms  subside,  terminating 
the  first  period  of  dentition. 

The  second  stage  soon  follows.  Instead  of  carrying 
everything  to  its  mouth  the  child  fears  to  have  anything 
come  near  it,  and  will  usually  cry  if  it  happen  to  bite 
anything.  The  mouth  and  gums  become  hot  ;  a  pale  or 
bright-red  elevated  spot  appears  upon  the  gum  ;  the 
child  changes  color,  is  restless  and  desires  to  be  laid  down, 
but  immediately  to  be  taken  up  again.  Nothing  pleases 
it.  It  one  moment  [demands  the  breast,  the  next  turns 
from  it ;  it  snatches  at  everything  but  keeps  nothing  —  in 
short,  it  is  manifestly  very  uneasy.  When  the  teeth  are 


76  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

cut  the  symptoms  subside.  Many  children,  however, 
especially  those  well  constituted  and  judiciously  managed, 
pass  through  teething  with  little  disturbance. 

The  incisors  are  more  easily  cut  than  the  eye  teeth, 
the  appearance  of  the  latter  being,  notwithstanding  their 
pointed  form,  frequently  accompanied  with  much  more 
disturbance. 

•  Dentition,  a  natural  process,  should  not  be  a  source  of 
danger ;  but  slight  causes  are  more  apt  to  give  rise  to 
disease  during  the  period  of  teething  than  at  other  times. 
If  disease  do  occur,  it  is  aggravated  and  rendered  more 
dangerous.  Increased  irritability  is  the  real  symptom  of 
the  constitutional  disturbance  attendant  on  teething,  and 
the  best  method  of  carrying  a  child  safely  through  this 
perilous  period  is  systematic  management  from  its  birth 
onward. 

The  first  and  most  important  item  necessary  to  free 
children  from  many  of  the  evils  attending  dentition  is  pure 
air.  It  will  do  more  to  counteract  and  subdue  that  nervous 
irritability  characteristic  of  infancy  than  any  other  remedy. 
If  a  child  spend  some  hours  daily  in  the  open  air,  and  then 
occupy  a  large,  well-ventilated  room  in-doors,  and  be  not 
overfed,  it  will  usually  suffer  but  little  while  teething.  But 
if  it  be  taken  out  to  exercise  only  at  irregular  intervals, 
and  be  cooped  up  in  a  warm  and  ill-ventilated  nursery,  it 
is  placed  in  the  situation  most  likely  to  render  dentition  a 
process  of  difficulty  and  danger. 

Although  the  infant,  when  properly  protected,  can 
scarcely  be  too  much  in  the  open  air  in  temperate  or  fine 


TEETHING.  77 

weather,  yet  the  unusual  susceptibility  of  the  system  at 
this  period  of  teething  demands  that  it  be  not  rashly 
exposed  to  harsh  or  cold  weather. 

If,  from  an  ill-directed  desire  to  strengthen  the  child, 
it  be  incautiously  exposed  to  damp  or  cold,  or  to  currents 
of  air,  inflammatory  diseases  may  be  induced,  endanger- 
ing life.  The  same  result  may  ensue  if  the  child  be  not 
sufficiently  clothed  to  keep  up  the  natural  warmth  of  the 
body. 

The  tepid  bath  forms  another  important  factor  in  the 
management  of  the  child  during  this  period  (as  well  as  at 
all  others),  from  its  power  to  allay  nervous  irritability. 
Gentle  and  repeated  friction  over  the  surface  of  the  body 
has  a  decided  sedative  effect  upon  the  nervous  system. 

A  light,  cooling  diet  should  be  strictly  adhered  to 
during  the  acute  stage  of  dentition  ;  and  if  teething  take 
place  before  weaning,  the  mother  or  nurse  should  also 
adopt  a  mild  and  cooling  diet,  and  avoid  any  anxiety  or 
fatigue,  as  these  effect  the  health  of  the  child.  During  the 
active  stage  of  dentition  there  is  considerable  tendency  to 
congestion  of  the  brain,  which  becomes  a  source  of  much 
danger  from  the  frequency  with  which  convulsions  are 
thereby  induced.  If  there  be  manifest  symptoms  of  this 
trouble,  which  is  so  much  dreaded  by  mothers,  give  the 
child  at  once  a  bath  and  friction  ;  and  if  the  gums  be  much 
inflamed  and  swollen,  they  should  be  scarified  to  relieve 
the  congestion.  If  convulsions  attack  the  child,  it  should 
be  placed  at  once  in  a  warm  bath,  and  ice  or  cold  water 
applied  to  its  head.  These  symptoms  of  dentition  are 


?8  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

really  the  same  as  chills  in  an  adult,  but  attended  with  more 
danger. 

The  first  or  milk  teeth  are  twenty  in  number,  including 
eight  front  teeth  or  incisors,  four  canine  or  eye  teeth,  and 
eight  molars  or  grinding  teeth.  These  beginning  to 
appear,  as  has  been  stated,  about  the  seventh  month,  are 
generally  completed  between  the  twentieth  and  thirtieth 
months  of  life.  When  the  child  attains  the  age  of  seven  or 
eight  years,  these  temporary  teeth  begin  to  fall  out,  and 
are  gradually  followed  by  the  permanent  teeth.  These 
are  thirty-two  in  number,  the  last  four  of  which,  because 
they  do  not  appear  until  after  maturity,  are  called  wisdom 
teeth. 

Each  jaw  contains  sixteen  of  these  thirty-two  teeth. 
They  are  divided  into  eight  front  or  cutting  teeth,  four 
eye  or  canine  teeth,  and  twenty  grinders. 

Although  the  teeth  be  so  long  in  making  their  appear- 
ance, their  rudiments  exist  in  the  jaw  long  before  birth. 
It  is  not  the  purpose  to  enter  upon  any  detailed  account 
of  the  various  processes  in  the  development  of  the  teeth  ; 
suffice  it  to  say,  that  at  the  time  of  birth  the  milk  teeth 
are  not  only  well  advanced,  but  in  a  few  instances  have 
made  Jiheir  appearance  beyond  the  gums.  The  teeth 
appear  with  some  degree  of  regularity,  the  middle  two  of 
the  lower  jaw  coming  first,  soon  followed  by  those  in  the 
upper  jaw.  In  a  period,  longer  or  shorter,  the  lateral 
incisors  in  both  jaws  emerge,  so  that  the  child  has  eight 
teeth,  four  above  and  four  below.  After  another  interval, 
when  the  child  becomes  fifteen  or  sixteen  months  old,  the 


A  SPOILED  PET. 


PERIOD    OF   TEETHING.  79 

front  or  anterior  molar  or  canine  teeth  are  cut.  The 
second  or  posterior  molars,  the  last  of  the  milk  teeth,  are 
not  usually  seen  until  the  child  is  between  twenty  and 
thirty  months  old. 

The  first  period  of  teething  has  two  distinct  stages.  In 
the  first,  the  capsule  swells  and  presses  upon  the  adjacent 
parts,  while  hi  the  second  stage  the  tooth  rises,  presses 
upon,  and  passes  through  the  gum.  The  second  process 
may  or  may  not  follow  the  first  immediately.  Active 
symptoms  of  teething  are  often  experienced  without  any 
teeth  making  their  appearance.  Perhaps  a  few  days  later 
the  work  may  be  resumed,  or  the  teeth  may  appear  with- 
out any  noticeable  disturbance  of  the  child's  health. 

Period  of  Teething. 

As  the  teething  period  is  protracted  over  a  period 
ranging  from  twelve  to  twenty-four  months,  it  necessarily 
follows  that  the  season  of  the  year  in  which  the  acute 
stages  are  passed  should  be  carefully  considered.  It  is  a 
proverb  among  house-wives  that  the  second  summer  of 
the  child's  life  is  the  difficult  pofnt  to  pass.  This  has  its 
origin  in  the  fact  that  a  critical  teething  stage  is  likely  to 
come  in  the  later  summer  months  when  the  infant  is  sus- 
ceptible to  certain  diseases,  serious  enough  at  any  time, 
and  increasedly  so  by  reason  of  the  complications  of  the 
teething  process. 

Too  much  anxiety  to  amuse  the  child  may  become  a 
source  of  morbid  irritation  ;  hence  a  quiet,  soothing  and 
cheerful  manner  is  by  far  the  most  suitable,  and  tends 


80  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

much  to  comfort  the  child.  The  unusual  flow  of  saliva 
from  the  mouth  has  a  beneficial  effect  upon  the  brain,  and 
should  not  be  stayed.  The  bowel  trouble,  also,  unless  it 
become  excessive,  need  not  be  interfered  with.  It  is  well 
not  to  cut  or  scarify  the  gums,  unless  the  teeth  are  so 
nearly  through  that  the  gums  will  not  close  again  over 
them.  If  the  gum  heals  up  over  the  tooth,  a  scar  is 
formed  which  makes  the  gum  more  resistful  than  it  would 
otherwise  have  been. 

Too-early  feeding  of  solid  food,  or  supplying  the  child 
with  hard  substances  to  bite  upon,  renders  dentition  more 
difficult,  on  account  of  the  hardening  effect  upon  the 
gums,  so  that  they  are  with  more  difficulty  pierced  by  the 
teeth. 

Second    Dentition. 

The  second  dentition  is  seldom  attended  with  constitu- 
tional disturbance,  but  the  progress  of  the  teeth  should  be 
carefully  watched,  to  see  that  they  come  in  their  proper 
places,  and  in  the  right  direction  ;  also  that  they  are  not 
so  crowded  as  to  press  injuriously  on  one  another,  thereby 
endangering  the  permanent  regularity.  Not  only  the  form 
and  expression  of  the  mouth,  but  the  beauty  and  preser- 
vation of  the  teeth  themselves,  depend  greatly  upon  their 
management  at  this  period.  The  little  care  and  expense 
necessary  at  this  time  to  insure  regular,  evenly-formed 
teeth  will  be  abundantly  repaid  in  all  the  after  years  of 
life. 


IMPORTANCE   OF   THE   TEETH.  8 1 

Importance    of  the    Teeth. 

Few  persons  fully  appreciate  the  importance  of  the  teeth 
in  the  economy  of  digestion  ;  hence,  very  few  take  proper 
care  of  them.  It  is  only  when  we  grow  old  and  find  them 
wanting,  or  when  we  suffer  from  their  decay,  that  we  are 
reminded  how  remiss  we  were  in  their  preservation.  This 
is  more  remarkable  from  the  fact  that  Nature  teaches  us 
their  great  importance  by  furnishing  two  distinct  sets,  so 
that  in  the  decay,  pain  and  loss  of  the  first  we  may  be 
forewarned  for  the  preservation  of  the  second. 

The  teeth  in  the  lower  jaw  are  brought  in  contact  with 
those  in  the  upper  by  -a  powerful  set  of  muscles,  which 
enable  the  operator  to  crush  hard  substances.  These, 
being  saturated  with  the  juices  of  the  mouth,  are  thereby 
more  easily  swallowed,  and  are  better  prepared  for  solu- 
tion in  the  stomach.  It  will  be  observed,  then,  that  the 
work  done  by  the  stomach  will  be  facilitated  in  proportion 
to  the  effectiveness  of  that  previously  done  by  the  teeth. 
It  is  doubtless  true  that  when  the  stomach  is  healthy  and 
vigorous,  and  its  juices  abundant,  it  will  for  a  while  over- 
come any  defects  in  mastication,  which,  therefore,  entail 
but  little  inconvenience.  Hence,  many  persons  grow  more 
and  more  reckless,  and  if  reminded  of  the  danger  of  their 
folly,  reply  with  confidence:  "  Nothing  hurts  my  stomach." 
"  Be  sure  that  your  sins  will  find  you  out  "  is  just  as  true 
in  reference  to  physical  sins  as  to  any  other.  The  health 
of  the  stomach  is  of  the  first  importance  in  the  construc- 
tion of  animal  economy.  If  good  and  healthy  food  be 


82  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

taken  in  proper  quantities  and  completely  masticated  into 
a  healthy  stomach,  and  then  supplied  in  its  passage 
through  the  stomach  and  duodenum  with  those  juices 
that  Nature  provides  for  digestion  and  assimilation,  the 
result  must  be  the  manufacture  of  good  and  healthy 
blood,  which  will  build  up  sound,  healthy  tissue,  to 
replace  that  which  has  become  worn  out.  But  if,  on  the 
other  hand,  from  want  of  teeth,  food  cannot  be  properly 
ground,  undue  work  is  thrown  upon  the  stomach,  and  that 
grinding  which  should  have  been  done  by  the  teeth  is  left 
to  be  accomplished  by  the  more  delicate  "  teeth  "  of  the 
stomach,  thereby  not  only  overtaxing  it  with  work  that 
does  not  belong  to  it,  but  compelling  it  to  perform  a  kind 
to  which  its  delicate  constitution  is  not  adapted.  Indiges- 
tion is  thereby  induced  ;  food  is  permitted  to  ferment  and 
decay  in  the  stomach  ;  the  products  of  this  fermentation 
and  decay  are  carried  into  the  circulation  to  repair  the 
wasting  body  —  with  what  ?  Not  health,  but  disease.  Is 
it  a  wonder,  then,  that  so  much  trouble  and  disease  are 
attributed  to  the  stomach,  when  so  much  of  health  depends 
upon  the  manner  in  which  its  work  is  performed  ?  Since 
the  teeth  are  essential  in  enabling  the  stomach  to  properly 
perform  its  work,  how  important  it  is  that  their  health  and 
preservation  should  be  studied.  While  the  teeth  are 
necessary  in  the  preparation  of  food  for  the  stomach, 
and  contribute  beauty  and  symmetry  to  the  mouth,  they 
also  have  much  to  do  in  articulation.  Difficulty  in  speak- 
ing distinctly  is  experienced  by  every  person  who  has 
suffered  their  loss.  There  are  certain  sounds  that  can- 


PRESERVING   THE   TEETH.  83 

not  be  distinctly  uttered  without  the  aid  of  the  teeth. 
Artificial  teeth  only  increase  the  difficulty  of  meeting  this 
requirement. 

As  soon  as  the  second  set  of  teeth  is  formed,  the 
child  should  be  taught  to  care  for  them.  It  will  be  then 
old  enough  to  understand,  to  some  degree,  the  impor- 
tance of  this.  A  brush,  not  too  stiff,  should  be  given 
each  child,  and  its  use  after  each  meal  insisted  upon. 
Let  the  habit  of  caring  for  the  teeth  be  formed.  The 
child  can  be  made  to  feel  that  it  is  as  necessary  to  clean 
the  teeth  as  it  is  to  eat,  and  that  these  two  things  are 
inseparably  associated.  When  the  habit  is  once  finally 
established,  it  will  not  easily  be  broken  up.  A  few 
generat  directions  on  this  point  follow  : 

Preserving  the  Teeth. 

To  preserve  the  teeth,  they  should  be  regularly 
cleaned  after  each  meal.  Every  particle  of  food  that  has 
found  a  lodgment  in  any  of  the  interstices  should  be 
carefully  removed  by  some  pliable  substance,  such  as 
quill  or  soft  wood.  A  metallic  instrument  that  may 
damage  the  enamel,  and  thuc  produce  disease  and  decay, 
should  not  be  used.  When  this  has  been  carefully  done, 
the  mouth  should  be  thoroughly  cleansed  with  brush 
and  water  ;  if  need  be,  add  to  the  water  a  little  castile 
soap.  If  this  work  be  thoroughly  done,  much  will  be 
accomplished,  not  only  in  preserving  the  teeth,  but  in 
obviating  what,  above  all  things,  is  to  be  dreaded, 
especially  by  the  young  —  "  a  bad  breath."  Many  denti- 


84  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

frices,  some  of  which  may  be  very  good,  have  been 
compounded  and  placed  upon  the  vendors'  shelves, 
accompanied  by  flattering  recommendations.  Doubtless 
many  are  sold,  not  upon  their  real  merit,  but  upon  glow- 
ing advertisement,  without  any  reference  to  the  affinity 
that  certain  constituents  may  have  for  the  composition 
of  the  teeth. 

Sulphuric  acid,  diluted  honey  and  charcoal  make  an 
excellent  compound  for  removing  dark  accumulations  on 
the  teeth,  rendering  them  clean  and  white  ;  but  the  acid 
is  very  damaging  to  the  enamel  of  the  teeth.  People 
should  be  careful  in  buying  nostrums  for  the  teeth  as  well 
as  for  the  stomach.  A  very  good  as  well  as  cheap  denti- 
frice can  be  made  by  compounding  charcoal  and  orris 
root  with  a  little  gum  myrrh.  It  will  accomplish  very 
nicely  the  work  of  cleaning  and  whitening  the  teeth,  and 
keeps  the  gums  healthy. 

Diseases   of    Infancy. 

The  nervous  sensibilities  of  the  infant  excite  muscular 
activity.  It  lives,  moves  and  breathes.  But  continued 
life  is  conditioned  not  on  respiration  alone,  but  on  the 
circulation  of  the  blood.  At  the  moment  of  birth,  the 
separation  of  the  child  from  its  mother,  three  changes 
succeed  instantaneously,  viz. :  The  excitement  of  the 
nervous  system,  the  expansion  of  the  lungs,  and  the 
change  in  the  circulation  of  the  blood,  which  causes  it  to 
return  through  the  lungs -(instead  of  going  directly  from 
the  right  to  the  left  side  of  the  heart),  thus  making  provis- 
ion for  the  diffusion  of  animal  heat. 


DISEASES   OF   INFANCY.  85 

Food  is  the  primary  source  of  animal  heat  ;  its  devel- 
opment and  diffusion  being  dependent  upon  digestion, 
respiration  and  circulation.  Therefore  why  feeble  and 
delicate  children  suffer  and  die,  may  be  easily  seen. 
They  are  not  able  to  digest  much  food  or  inhale  much 
air.  This  disproves  the  once  prevalent  opinion  that 
infants  <have  great  power  of  resisting  cold  ;  many  from 
thfe  false  notion  were  permitted  to  perish  for  lack  of 
sufficient  protection  from  cold,  while  the  heat-manufact- 
uring functions  were  not  fully  established. 

In  another  place  was  discussed  the  subject  of  food  of 
infants  and  its  effect  upon  the  animal  economy,  as  well  as 
the  proper  kinds  best  adapted  to  its  delicate  nature  for 
the  better  sustenance  of  its  system.  From  the  evidence 
there  adduced,  the  conclusion  was  inevitable  that  the  life 
and  health  of  the  infant  depend  essentially  on  the  kind  of 
management  and  the  circumstances  by  which  it  is  sur- 
rounded. Where  both  of  these  conditions  are  favorable, 
the  child  enjoys  the  highest  degree  of  health  compatible 
with  its  constitution.  But  if  the  management  be  bad  and 
the  surroundings  unfavorable,  its  life  and  health  will  be 
correspondingly  doubtful  and  feeble.  •  ' 

Upon  this  proposition  depends  whatever  of  advance- 
ment may  have  been  made  in  diminishing  infantile  mor- 
tality. It  gives  renewed  encouragement  for  further 
progress,  that  disease  and  death  may  be  more  frequently 
averted.  Disease  and  premature  death  are  the  results, 
not  of  chance  or  necessity,  but  of  neglect  of  the  condi- 
tions on  which  God  has  decreed  that  health  and  vigor 


86  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

depend.  These  conditions  have  very  appropriately  been 
styled  the  "  Organic  Laws."  Any  violation  of  these 
laws,  as  excessive  eating  or  drinking,  will  induce  indiges- 
tion. Indigestion  is  the  result  of  disobedience  of  the  law 
that  the  quality  and  quantity  of  food  must  be  adopted  to 
the  constitution,  mode  of  life  and  power  of  the  stomach. 

In  like  manner,  if  the  eye  be  exposed  to  the  rays  of 
too-strong  light  for  a  length  of  time,  or  if  it  be  used  very 
freely  without  a  sufficient  amount  of  light,  inflammation 
results.  It  matters  little  how  appropriate  or  judicious  the 
treatment  may  be,  if  the  cause  be  allowed  to  continue  to 
operate,  no  permanent  benefit  will  be  received.  But,  so 
soon  as  the  cause  is  removed,  and  we  hearken  to  the  law  of 
Nature,  which  teaches  that  the  rays  of  light  must  be 
adapted  to  the  strength  of  the  organ,  the  same  treatment 
will  soon  restore  the  inflamed  eye.  It  would  be  equally 
vain  to  attempt  to  cure  indigestion  by  dosing  with  medi- 
cine, unless  there  be  an  adaptation  of  the  food  and  mode 
of  life  to  the  deranged  state  of  the  stomach  and  aliment- 
ary bowel. 

Convulsions. 

Convulsions  are  a  frequent  disease  of  infancy,  and  are 
attended  with  more  or  less  danger.  The  attack  often 
comes  suddenly  and  without  any  premonitory  symptoms, 
except  there  may  be  slight  twitchings  of  the  muscles  of 
the  hands  and  feet  during  sleep. 

There  are  four  principle  causes  of  convulsions,  viz. : 
I.   Breathing  impure   air  for  a  length  of  time.     This 


TREATMENT.  8/ 

deteriorates  the  blood,  and  thus  inteneres  with  the  healthy 
and  regular  operations  of  the  functions  of  the  brain,  thus 
inducing  interruption  in  the  passage  of  nervous  currents, 
so  as  to  produce  irregular  and  involuntary  muscular 
contractions. 

2.  Overloading    the  stomach.     This    is  another   very 
fruitful  cause   of  this  disease,  and  many   of  the  cases  of 
convulsions  of  children  are  the   result  of  the  presence  of 
some  offending  substance  either  in  the  stomach  or  bowels. 
This  very  frequently  is  the  result  of  some  manifest  impro- 
priety, either  in  the  quality  or  quantity  of  food,   or  of 
unfavorable  circumstances  affecting  the  system  during  the 
process  of  digestion,   either   in   the   stomach   or  bowels, 
producing  undue  excitement  of  the  nervous  system. 

3.  This  irritable  condition  of  the  nervous  system  is  not 
infrequently  induced  by  the  presence  of  worms,  which  act 
as  offending  agents  on  the  sensitive  nervous  organism. 

4.  The  period  of  dentition  is  frequently  attended  with 
convulsions    from    the    irritability   induced    by   the    long 
pressure  of  the  teeth  upon  the  dental  nerves. 

Treatment. 

In  the  treatment  of  convulsions  the  first  question  to  be 
answered  is,  What  is  the  exciting  cause  ?  If  it  be  deteriora- 
tion of  the  blood  from  the  effect  of  vitiated  air,  the  infant 
should  be  gradually  exposed  to  out-door  air,  if  the 
weather  be  sufficiently  moderate  and  pleasant  to  be  at  all 
suited  to  its  feeble  condition.  If  not,  the  nursery  should 
be  better  supplied  with  a  free  circulation  of  pure  air. 


88  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

If  the  cause  be  the  overloading  of  the  stomach,  thereby 
producing  reflex  action  upon  the  nerve-centers  by  pressure 
upon  the  gastric  nerves,  an  emetic  of  syrup  of  ipecacuanha 
should  be  given. 

If  the  child  be  teething,  the  condition  of  the  gums 
should  be  examined,  and,  if  they  be  found  much  swollen 
and  inflamed,  they  should  be  freely  divided  with  a  sharp 
instrument,  so  as  to  permit  the  offending  tooth  to  escape, 
thus  relieving  the  pressure  on  the  dental  nerves.  It  is 
surprising  to  find  what  instantaneous  relief  this  will 
frequently  afford. . 

In  all  cases  of  convulsions,  no  matter  what  may  be  the 
exciting  cause,  much  relief  will  generally  follow  from 
bathing  of  the  child's  extremities,  and  even  well  up  on  the 
body,  in  water  as  hot  as  can  be  borne,  at  the  same  time 
making  cold  applications  to  the  head  and  face.  Should 
this  treatment  prove  ineffectual  in  arresting  the  convul- 
sions, a  physician  had  better  be  summoned,  lest  they 
should  be  the  result,  not  of  irritation,  but  of  organic 
disease  of  the  brain. 

Indigestion  of  children  differs  from  that  of  adults,  in 
that  it  is  generally  functional.  It  is  a  result  of  overfeeding 
or  feeding  at  improper  times,  and  is  frequently  attended 
with  more  or  less  nervous  irritability.  The  infant  is  rest- 
less ;  sleep  is  frequently  interrupted  ;  the  skin  is  hot  and 
dry;  there  is  considerable  thirst ;  there  is  a  disposition  to 
vomit,  the  stomach  at  times  becoming  very  irritable.  The 
stomach  and  bowels  may  be  considerably  distended  with 
gas.  The  bowels  are  sometimes  costive,  but  more  gen- 


SORE   MOUTH.  89 

erally  loose.  The  excrements  are  fetid,  and  often  contain 
quantities  of  undigested  food.  Colic  pains  are  felt  in  the 
bowels. 

To  remedy  this  chain  of  symptoms  the  nervous  irrita- 
bility may  be  soothed  by  a  tepid  bath,  and  by  gentle 
but  continued  friction,  which  will  largely  overcome  the 
heat  and  dryness  of  the  skin. 

The  irritability  of  the  stomach  will  be  met  by  rube- 
facients  or  wet-compresses,  adding  a  teaspoonful  of  soda 
to  one  pint  of  water.  Teaspoonful  doses  of  soda-water, 
made  by  dissolving  a  quarter-teaspoonful  of  soda  in  a 
half-teacupful  of  water  may  be  given,  repeating  the  dose 
every  five  or  ten  minutes. 

The  nourishment  should  consist  of  fresh  milk,  with  the 
addition  of  one-fourth  of  its  bulk  of  lime-water.  Care 
should  be  taken  to  administer  small  quantities  at  a  time. 
The  child  should  have  plenty  of  fresh  air  and  frequent 
baths  until  fully  restored.  The  colic  may  be  the  result  of 
flatus  in  the  bowels,  or  of  irritation  of  the  mucous  mem- 
brane induced  from  the  continued  diarrhea,  and  will 
disappear  on  the  restoration  of  the  bowels  to  a  healthy 
condition. 

Sore  Mouth. 

Sore  mouth  is  a  frequent  disease  of  infancy.  It  arises, 
like  most  other  diseases  of  early  life,  from  either  over- 
feeding or  improper  food.  If  the  directions  given  in 
"  The  Hygiene  of  Infancy"  be  closely  adhered  to,  little 
trouble  will  be  exoerienced  with  these  infantile  diseases. 


90  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

This  disease  is  manifested  by  a  number  of  small,  irreg- 
ular, white  specks  on  the  lips,  tongue,  and  inside  of  the 
cheeks  and  angles  of  the  mouth.  The  parts  affected  look 
as  though  milk  curds  had  been  smeared  upon  them.  The 
mouth  is  hot  and  painful,  and  the  child  is  afraid  to  nurse. 
It  cries  as  soon  as  the  nipple  is  placed  in  its  mouth. 
There  is  usually  fever  and  general  disturbance  of  the 
stomach  and  bowels,  amounting  sometimes  to  troublesome 
diarrhea,  from  which  some  have  supposed  the  inflamed 
condition  passes  down  the  entire  length  of  the  alimentary 
canal. 

The  disease  is  not  usually  serious,  but  passes  off  in  the 
course  of  a  week  or  ten  days.  Fresh  air,  baths  and  atten- 
tion to  alimentation,  are  important  factors  in  both  the 
preventive  and  curative  treatment  of  this  disease.  The 
acid  condition  of  the  stomach  will  be  best  overcome  by  a 
few  grains  of  calcined  magnesia  mixed  in  a  little  milk. 
The  looseness  of  the  bowels,  will  be  stayed  by  the  admin- 
istration of  creta  pr&parata  (prepared  chalk)  or  small 
doses  of  subnitrate  of  bismuth.  If  these  prove  insuffi- 
cient, the  aromatic  syrup  of  rhubarb,  with  the  addition  of 
paregoric,  will  be  found  quite  useful.  Much  benefit  will 
be  derived  by  pulverizing  together  borate  of  soda  and 
granulated  sugar  in  the  proportion  of  one  of  the  former  to 
three  of  the  latter,  and  placing  a  small  quantity  on  the 
back  part-of  the  tongue.  The  sweet  taste  of  the  sugar 
will  conceal  the  borax,  and  it  will  gradually  dissolve  in 
the  child's  mouth,  producing  very  happy  effects. 


COSTIVENESS.  91 


Costiveness. 

Some  children  are  habitually  troubled  with  a  lack  of 
free  and  full  discharge  regularly  from  the  bowels.  This 
results  either  from  errors  in  diet  or  proper  exercise  in  the 
open  air.  Nurses  are  forever  dosing  children  with  laxative 
medicines.  Instead  of  getting  rid  of  the  difficulty  these 
only  increase  it. 

Nothing  can  be  more  deleterious,  either  to  old  or 
young,  than  the  habit  of  taking  medicines  to  act  upon  the 
bowels.  Such  treatment  only  irritates  the  lining  mem- 
brane of  the  bowels  by  exciting  it  to  discharge  an  excess 
of  liquid,  to  farther  soften  the  contents.  This  increased 
demand  upon  this  watery  material  is  followed  by  a  corres- 
ponding lack  of  supply,  leaving  the  bowels  dry,  causing 
an  aggravation  of  the  costiveness. 

The  better  course  to  pursue  to  remedy  the  evil  is  to 
try  a  change  in  the  diet  and  a  more  liberal  supply  of 
water  externally  and  internally.  Water  may  be  admin- 
istered freely  in  the  morning,  with  an  admixture  of  pure 
brown  sugar.  Give  the  child  more  freedom  in  the  open 
air,  and  an  additional  amount  of  exercise. 

Very  satisfactory  results  are  frequently  obtained  from 
thorough  manipulation  of  the  abdominal  muscles,  pressing 
the  fingers  gently  but  deeply  down  into  the  bowels,  so  as 
to  knead  them  perfectly.  Accompanying  this  treatment, 
small  enemas  of  tepid  water  may  be  administered  from 
time  to  time,  until  the  normal  condition  of  the  evacua- 
tions be  established.  If  the  infant  be  old  enough,  very 


92  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

salutary  effects  will  be  produced  by  either  "  holding  it 
out"  or  setting  it  upon  a  stool  at  regular  intervals.  This 
may  be  done  while  the  babe  is  very  young.  It  is  surpris- 
ing how  readily  it  will  understand  what  is  intended  by 
this  procedure,  and  will  assist  the  efforts  of  Nature,  so 
that  a  regular  interval  for  the  evacuation  of  the  bowels 
will  be  established  and  much  trouble  and  labor  for  the 
nurse  avoided. 

Worms. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  worms  that  come  within  the 
scope  of  the  present  inquiry  and  demand  attention.  One 
is  the  long,  round  worm  of  whitish  color  that  generally 
infests  the  smaller  intestines.  It  sometimes,  however, 
ascends  to  the  stomach  and  has  occasionally  been  discov- 
ered crawling  out  of  the  mouth  and  nose.  In  general 
there  exist  but  from  two  to  six,  but  occasionally  large 

X? 

numbers  have  been  expelled  at  one  time.  They  are 
rarely  met  with  in  persons  over  fifteen  years  of  age.  The 
pin,  or  thread  worm,  so  called  from  its  resemblance  to 
short  bits  of  white  thread,  is  never  more  than  one  inch  in 
length,  moves  very  quietly,  infests  the  lower  part  of  the 
bowels,  and  frequently  creeps  out  of  the  fundament. 
These  worms  produce  an  intense  itching  and  irritation  at 
the  lower  part  of  the  rectum  just  within  the  anus,  and  are 
a  fruitful  cause  of  annoyance  not  only  to  children  but 
even  to  adults.  They  are  frequently  accompanied  with 
fever  and  much  nervous  irritation,  sometimes  ending  in 
convulsions  or  other  serious  disease  that  may  destroy  life. 


WORMS.  93 

Indigestion  lies  at  the  foundation  of  all  the  causes  that  are 
assigned  for  the  propagation  of  this  as  well  as  the  other 
variety  of  worms  to  which  we  have  called  attention. 

Some  of  the  more  prominent  constitutional  symptoms 
of  worms  are  a  gnawing,  uneasy  feeling  about  the  stomach, 
which  may  be  removed  or  diminished  by  eating.  The 
appetite  is  deranged  and  variable  —  often  more  than  ordi- 
narily voracious.  The  belly  is  large  and  hard  and  more 
or  less  painful.  There  is  frequent  picking  and  rubbing  of 
the  nose,  disturbed  and  restless  sleep,  with  grinding  of  the 
teeth,  bowels  costive  or  sometimes  the  reverse.  The 
countenance  is  at  times  pale  and  then  flushed,  the  eyes 
are  sunken  and  dull,  bordered  underneath  by  a  dark 
stripe,  the  skin  is  dry  and  at  times  quite  hot,  the  flesh 
wasted  and  muscles  soft  and  flabby.  There  is  often  great 
irritation  of  the  nervous  system.  The  grinding  of  the 
teeth,  talking  during  sleep  or  waking  up  screaming,  foul 
breath,  frequent  pain  in  the  bowels,  variable  appetite  and 
sickness  of  the  stomach  are  strong  symptoms  of  worms. 

Treatment. 

The  country  is  flooded  with  worm  nostrums,  many  of 
them  answering  very  well  so  far  as  the  expulsion  of  the 
worms  is  concerned.  The  general  public  being  ignorant 
of  their  composition,  prudence  would  suggest  that  they 
be  administered  with  much  caution,  as  they  are  liable  to 
contain  very  potent  remedies. 

Three  or  four  grains  of  santonine  (to  which  may  be 
added  one  gr?.'.i  of  calomel)  and  twelve  to  fifteen  grains 


94  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

of  white  sugar,  thoroughly  triturated  and  divided  into 
three  powders,  administered  on  an  empty  stomach  thrice 
daily,  and  followed  with  a  full  dose  of  castor  oil,  to  which 
has  been  added  a  few  drops  of  spirits  turpentine,  will  be 
found  a  very  safe  and  effectual  method  of  destroying  these 
troublesome  creatures. 

The  old  time-honored  but  poisonous  spigelia  maril- 
andica,  better  known  as  pinkroot,  is  a  very  proficient 
remedy  and  may  be  safely  used  in  the  following  com- 
pound: take  of  pinkroot,  Alexandria  senna,  manna  and 
worm  seed,  of  each  half  an  ounce,  bruise  all,  and  add  to 
the  powder  one  pint  of  boiling  water.  Let  all  stand  to 
steep  for  half  an  hour.  Strain  and  sweeten  with  New 
Orleans  molasses,  to  which  may  be  added  a  gill  of  milk. 
A  gill  of  this  tea  may  be  given  to  a  child  five  or  six 
years  old  three  times  daily  on  an  empty  stomach. 
Increase  or  diminish  the  dose  according  to  the  age  of  the 
child.  The  quantity  given  should  be  sufficient  to  produce 
a  cathartic  effect  on  the  bowels. 

A  very  satisfactory  preventive  treatment  will  be  found 
by  dissolving  one  drachm  of  sulphate  of  iron  (copperas) 
in  a  gill  of  whisky,  and  administering  a  teaspoonful,  more 
or  less  according  to  the  age  of  the  child,  in  the  morning, 
on  an  empty  stomach. 

The  pin  or  thread  worm  that  infests  the  rectum  may  be 
dislodged  by  injecting  into  the  bowels  a  weak  solution  of 
cold,  soft  water  and  salt,  allowing  it  to  be  discharged 
freely,  thereby  washing  out  the  bowels  and  ejecting 
the  troublesome  occupants.  Practicing  '-his  treatment  for 
a  few  consecutive  days  will  generally  remove  the  trouble, 


DIPHTHERIA.  95 

If  a  child  that  is  suspected  of  having  worms  be  dis- 
posed to  gag,  with  repeated  efforts  at  swallowing,  suspi- 
cion should  be  aroused  in  that  the  worms  are  endeavoring 
to  ascend  the  throat.  An  emulsion  of  turpentine  with 
castor  oil,  or  elm-bark  mucilage  should  be  administered  to 
cause  them  to  return  to  the  stomach,  lest  the  irritation 
thus  induced  should  bring  on  convulsions. 

Diphtheria. 

Diptheria  is  an  acute,  specific,  and  by  many  regarded 
contagious,  disease,  characterized  by  a  spreading,  asthenic 
inflammation  of  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  throat,  and 
the  exudation  of  false  membranes  on  the  tonsils  and  adja- 
cent parts.  It  frequently  occurs  as  an  epidemic,  and 
generally  is  confined  to  the  young.  Attacks  upon  persons 
of  middle  life  or  upward  are  rare.  One  attack  of  this 
disease  does  not  protect  from  the  disease,  but  the  same 
child  may  have  it  repeatedly.  Some  individuals  and 
families  have  a  greater  predisposition  to  it  than  others. 
There  appears  to  be  a  period  of  incubation,  lasting  gener- 
ally from  two  to  five  days,  when  the  characteristic  symp- 
toms appear.  The  first  thing  observed  is  a  feeling  of 
depression,  muscular  weakness,  headache,  furred  tongue, 
some  nausea,  painful  deglutition,  or  swallowing,  with  fever 
more  or  less  marked.  The  tonsils  become  swollen  and 
dark  colored  and  the  glands  about  the  angle  of  the  lower 
jaw  get  tender.  The  diphtheretic  membrane  first  appears 
on  the  tonsils  in  the  form  of  white  or  gray  spots.  These 
spots  enlarge  and  form  patches  of  considerable  size,  which 


ij6  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

gradually  extend  forward  to  the  soft  palate,  or  into  the 
nostrils,  or  backward  into  the  larynx  and  down  the 
windpipe. 

This  membrane  increases  in  thickness  as  the  disease 
spreads,  and  although  it  is  at  first  a  white  or  grayish  color 
it  eventually  becomes  brown  or  almost  black,  and  emits  a 
very  offensive  odor.  If  it  be  forcibly  removed  by  an 
instrument,  the  surface  underneath  is  seen  to  be  red,  and 
frequently  bleeds,  but  in  a  short  time  is  covered  with  a 
similar  membrane.  The  tonsil  may  slough,  and  when  the 
nostrils  become  involved  and  lined  with  the  false  mem- 
brane, they  are  swollen  and  the  discharge  is  fetid  and 
offensive.  Hemorrhages  frequently  occur.  There  is 
usually,  also,  a  low  and  dangerous  form  of  fever,  with 
great  depression  of  spirits  and  rapid  failure  of  strength, 
which  is  rapidly  accelerated  by  inability  to  take  nourish- 
ment. In  favorable  cases  the  disease  usually  lasts  from 
ten  to  fifteen  days  ;  mild  cases  not  so  long.  Termination 
in  death  or  recovery  may  usually  be  foretold  in  six  to 
eight  days. 

There  are  various  forms  of  the  disease.  The  one  just 
described  is  of  the  most  malignant  type  and  a  large  pro- 
portion of  the  cases  end  fatally.  Frequently  the  general 
local  symptoms  are  mild,  with  little  fever,  some  soreness 
of  the  throat,  and  slight  exudation  upon  the  tonsils. 
Such  cases  yield  readily  to  mild  remedies  ;  as  a  mild 
purgative  with  a  free  use  of  a  saturate  solution  of  chlorate 
of  potassium.  This  is  made  by  putting  two  or  more 
drachms  of  the  chlorate  into  two  or  three  ounces  of  hot 


SORE   EYES.  97 

water.  Give  the  patient  a  teaspoouful  every  hour  if  it  be 
five  to  eight  years  old.  The  dose  should  be  increased  or 
diminished  according  to  age. 

If  the  patient  be  feeble,  some  tincture  of  iron  may  be 
added  to  the  solution,  the  quantity  depending  upon  the 
age  of  the  patient.  Eating  should  be  encouraged,  and  a 
light,  nutritious  diet  administered  to  keep  up  the  strength. 
Stimulants  and  tonics  will  generally  be  found  useful. 
Cleanliness  will  form  an  important  factor  in  benefiting 
such  patients. 

These  means  will  meet  the  indications  in  the  mild  forms 
of  the  disease.  It  would  not  be  possible  nor  advisable  in 
a  work  of  this  sort  to  attempt  giving  advice  in  cases  of 
the  malignant  forms  of  this  complaint.  It  is  altogether 
too  serious  to  be  trusted  to  unprofessional  treatment. 

Sore    Eyes. 

Sore  eyes  are  so  easily  known  that  but  little  need  be 
said  about  the  symptoms.  The  disease  is  an  inflamma- 
tory one  of  several  distinct  varieties,  the  appropriateness 
of  the  name  depending  upon  the  part  of  the  eye  that  may  . 
be  the  seat  of  the  inflammation.  The  form  of  the  com- 
plaint which  is  here  introduced  is  an  inflammation  of  the 
eye,  usually  the  result  of  a  cold,  and  sometimes  the  result 
of  a  lack  of  that  precaution  in  washing  the  infant  to  which 
attention  was  called  in  discussing  the  subject  of  baths, 
thus  permitting  some  irritating  matter  to  enter  the  eye,  or 
exposing  it  to  too  strong  light. 

Whatever  be  the  cause,  the  disease  soon  subsides  by 


98  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

protecting  the  eyes  from  the  light,  and  carefully  bathing 
them  in  tepid  water.  If  the  case  be  severe,  the  eyes  may 
be  poulticed  with  pulverized  elm-bark,  moistened  with 
warm  milk  and  water. 

A  very  efficient  eye-water  may  be  made  out  of  a 
decoction  of  jimson,  to  which  may  be  added  a  half- 
teaspoonful  ,of  salt  and  a  half-ounce  of  tincture  of  opium  to 
each  pint  of  the  decoction.  This  will  be  found  to  be  a 
very  valuable  lotion  for  any  sore  eyes,  either  of  children 
or  adults.  A  few  drops  may  be  let  fall  into  the  eye  twice 
daily.  Nitrate  of  silver,  one  grain  to  an  ounce  of  soft 
water,  will  be  found  verv  efficient  in  allaying  the  inflam- 
mation. 

Earache. 

Earache  is  another  inflammatory  affection.  It  is 
caused  mainly  by  exposure  to  strong,  cold  winds  without 
sufficient  protection.  It  is  one  of  the  most  painful  dis- 
eases of  childhood,  and  affects  persons  of  all  ages. 

Being  the  result  of  cold,  means  should  be  adopted  to 
abort  the  cold.  For  this  purpose  the  child  should  be 
placed  in  a  bath  of  high  temperature,  and  remain  until 
there  is  free  action  from  the  skin,  when  it  should  be  taken 
out  and  thoroughly  rubbed  till  a  red  glow  is  produced 
over  the  surface.  Warm  applications  should  be  made  to 
the  external  ear,  and  if  this  do  not  bring  relief,  warm 
water  as  hot  as  can  be  borne  should  be  poured  into 
the  ear. 

Should  the  inflammation  continue,  notwithstanding  the 


CHAFING.  99 

faithful  administration  of  these  remedies,  relief  will  most 
certainly  follow  the  application  of  equal  parts  of  tinctures 
of  lobelia,  blood-root  and  opium.  After  warming  the 
mixture  to  blood  heat,  fill  the  ear  and  apply  some  cotton 
wool. 

Chafing. 

Children  and  fat  persons  are  all  very  liable  to  suffer 
from  chafing  or  excoriation  of  the  skin  in  certain  parts, 
especially  in  warm  weather.  In  children  the  parts  most 
likely  to  chafe  are  inside  the  thighs,  behind  the  ears  and 
around  the  neck. 

This  affection  is  frequently  the  result  of  want  of  suffi- 
cient and  frequent  baths,  which  have  a  salutary  effect 
upon  the  skin,  not  only  in  cleansing,  but  in  keeping  the 
skin  soft  and  healthy,  obviating  dryness  and  tendency  to 
disease. 

Excessive  excoriations  that  are  persistent  indicate  an 
enfeebled  state  of  health  and  a  tendency  to  strumous  dis- 
ease, as  well  as  a  diseased  condition  of  the  skin.  Such 
cases  will  require  general  restorative  treatment  and  a 
thorough  application  of  the  principles  of  hygiene,  accom- 
panied with  good,  nourishing  food  and  plenty  of  fresh  air. 
The  diseased  parts  should  be  washed  with  castile  soap 
and  cold  water,  and  anointed  with  vaseline,  fresh  butter 
or  cream.  A  solution  composed  of  ten  grains  of  sulphate 
of  zinc  and  a  half-drachm  of  borax  to  four  ounces  of 
water  will  also  be  found  good  as  a  wash  once  or  twice  a 
day.  An  ointment  may  be  used  made  of  oxide  of  zinc, 


IOO  MAIDENHOOD    AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

one  drachm,  cosmoline  one  ounce  ;    mix  thoroughly  and 
apply  after  washing  with  the  soap  and  water. 

Nose-Bleed. 

Epistaxis,  or  bleeding  from  the  nose,  is  most  frequently 
a  disease  of  childhood  or  early  life.  It  is  rarely  alarming 
in  youth  unless  it  accompany  some  other  disease  ;  then  it 
may  be  a  grave  symptom.  It  may  result  from  mechanical 
injury  or  congestion  of  the  lining  membrane  of  the  nose  ; 
hence  an  unusual  determination  of  blood  to  the  head  will 
often  bring  on  bleeding  from  the  nose.  Some  children  are 
much  more  liable  to  this  disease  than  others.  Unless  the 
bleeding  be  profuse,  it  need  not  produce  any  alarm,  and 
usually  stops  in  a  few  minutes  if  nothing  be  done.  Should 
it  be  necessary  to  interfere,  the  application  of  cold  water  to 
the  nape  of  the  neck  and  back  will  often,  through  reflex 
action,  arrest  the  discharge.  The  child  should  be  set 
upright  and  directed  to  hold  one  hand  above  his  head,  and 
with  the  other  compress  the  nostril,  which  causes  the 
blood  to  coagulate  and  thus  stay  the  bleeding. 

A  very  simple  remedy  that  frequently  is  attended  \\ith 
good  results  is  to  roll  up  a  piece  of  paper  or  muslin  and 
place  it  above  the  front  teeth  under  the  upper  lip;  by  pres- 
sing hard  upon  this  substance  the  passage  of  blood  through 
the  vessels  leading  to  the  nose  will  be  obstructed. 

Youthful    Urinary    Troubles. 

The  functions  of  excretion  being  so  necessary  an 
accompaniment  of  nutrition,  we  find  the  kidneys  ready  to 
start  into  activity  soon  after  birth.  The  discharges  from 


YOUTHFUL    URINARY   TROUBLES.  IOI 

these  organs  are  at  first  involuntary  on  account  of  the 
feeble  condition  of  the  sensitive  organs  ;  the  quantity  is 
small  on  account  of  the  small  capacity  of  the  bladder.  But 
as  the  organs  of  sensation  develop,  the  infant  will  be  made 
to  realize,  in  his  wakeful  moments,  the  discharge  of  water 
from  the  kidneys,  and  may  soon  be  able  to  communicate 
his  knowledge  to  an  observing  nurse  by  the  expression  of 
his  countenance. 

But  it  sometimes  happens  that  the  sphincter  muscle  of 
the  bladder  will  relax  sufficiently  to  allow  the  escape  of  its 
contents  without  exciting  the  nervous  sensibilities  of  the 
muscle  sufficiently  to  make  the  child  wake  up  out  of  a  deep 
sleep.  Although  this  condition  is  always  present  with  the 
very  young,  yet  there  are  not  a  few  instances  in  which  it 
continues  for  several  years,  much  to  the  annoyance  of  the 
nurse  and  discomfort  of  the  child. 

A  very,  satisfactory  mode  of  treatment  will  be  found  in 
the  early  education  of  the  child  to  regular  periodic  evacua- 
tion of  the  bladder,  insisting,  as  he  grows  older,  that  he 
shall  lengthen  these  periods  by  efforts  to  resist  the  admo- 
nition of  Nature,  thereby  strengthening  the  sphincter 
muscle  by  the  increased  exercise,  and  at  the  same  time 
enlarging  the  capacity  of  the  bladder. 

The  child  should  always  betaken  out  of  bed,  if  possible, 
to  evacuate  the  bladder.  The  establishment  of  this  habit 
will  do  much  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  desired  end.  If 
these  means  fail,  a  physician  should  be  consulted,  as  the 
remedies  best  calculated  to  accomplish  the  desired  end  are 
too  potent  to  risk  in  the  hands  of  the  inexperienced. 


IO2  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Most  cases  will,  however,  be  found  to  yield  as  soon  as 
regular  habits  have  been  established,  and  will  fully  reward 
the  nurse  for  all  the  trouble  necessary  to  do  it. 

Colds. 

This  country  is  noted  for  the  inconstancy  of  its  climate. 
A  variation  of  twenty  degrees  in  half  as  many  hours  is 
nothing  at  all  uncommon  in  many  sections,  while  a  change 
of  fifty  and  even  sixty  degrees  in  the  same  period  has  been 
marked.  This  rapid  and  wide  variation  of  temperature  is 
most  favorable  to  colds  and  catarrhal  affections.  These 
complaints  are  quite  common.  They  result  from 
obstructed  excretions  from  the  skin,  and  are  too  well 
known  to  require  extended  description.  Suffice  it  to  say 
that  the  general  symptoms  are  the  same  everywhere  —  a 
stuffing  up  of  the  nasal  and  air  passages,  sneezing,  weari- 
ness, chills,  coughs,  etc. 

Few  diseases  demand  more  prompt  measures  of  relief 
than  these.  Few  are  more  generally  neglected.  Most 
mothers  and  nurses,  noting  that  the  child  has  contracted 
a  cold,  attach  little  importance  to  the  fact.  They  allow 
the  complaint  to  run  its  course,  and  scarce  give  a 
moment's  reflection  to  any  serious  consequences  which 
may  result.  Yet,  in  the  very  nature  of  the  case,  there  is 
cause  for  alarm.  Cold  closes  up  the  pores  of  the  skin  and 
many  of  the  natural  avenues  of  escape  for  the  effete  and 
poisonous  materials  of  the  system.  If  the  natural  powers 
of  the  child  are  inadequate  to  expel  these  poisons  through 
the  channels  left  unobstructed,  they  must  be  absorbed, 


CROUP.  IO3 

i 
and  the  absorption  incurs  great  hazard.      Herein  lies  the 

necessity  for  prompt  measures,  to  start  the  arrested 
excretions  and  permit  the  ordinary  functions  to  perform 
their  accustomed  work. 

Nothing  will  prove  more  effectual  in  accomplishing  the 
desired  end  than  an  early  bath  of  sufficiently  high  tem- 
perature to  produce  a  free  action  of  the  skin.  This  action 
should  be  further  stimulated  by  effective  rubbing  of  the 
surface  with  a  dry  napkin.  It  would  be  well  to  assist  the 
elimination  of  the  poison  through  the  skin  by  inducing  a 
free  action  from  the  bowels  with  some  saline  purgative. 
See  to  it  that  copious  sweating  be  induced  and  continued 
for  several  hours,  and  that  the  child  be  thoroughly  pro- 
tected by  warm  blankets  for  several  hours  after  the  sweat, 
until  the  complete  reaction  of  the  system  has  been 
established. 

The  nourishment  should  be  light  and  easily  digested. 
No  faith  is  to  be  put  in  the  adage,  "  Feed  a  cold  and 
starve  a  colic."  Excessive  feeding  will  be  found  deleteri- 
ous in  the  proper  management  of  all  diseases.  Pure  fresh 
air  will  be  of  incalculable  benefit  through  the  progress  of 
the  treatment,  as  at  other  times. 

Croup. 

Croup  is  an  acute  inflammatory  disease  of  the  trachea, 
or  windpipe  —  it  maybe  of  the  glottis,  larynx  and  trachea. 
It  rarely  occurs  in  a  child  under  one  year  old  or  over 
seven.  Children  are  thought  to  be  most  liable  during 
their  second  year.  It  occurs  most  frequently  in  cold, 


IO4  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

damp,  changeable  climates,  and  is  one  of  the  most  dreaded 
and  fatal  diseases  with  which  children  are  afflicted. 

There  are  two  varieties  of  this  disease,  known  as  true 
and  false  croup.  The  first  comes  on  gradually  ;  hence,  it 
is  less  liable  to  cause  alarm  than  false  croup,  which  comes 
on  suddenly.  True  croup  is  accompanied  with  some  fever 
from  the  outset,  resulting  from  the  inflammation  of  the  air 
passage,  and  some  hoarseness,  which  is  aggravated  at 
night. 

False  croup  is  a  spasmodic  closure  of  the  glottis,  caus- 
ing shrill  breathing.  It  is  not  accompanied  with  fever  or 
the  exudation  of  false  membrane.  It  is  rare  for  true 
croup  to  recur  in  the  same  individual,  while  false  croup 
may  recur  frequently.  The  duration  of  true  croup  is  from 
three  to  seven  days  ;  that  of  false  croup  only  a  few  hours. 
True  croup  is  very  fatal  ;  at  least  fifty  per  cent,  of  all  the 
cases  die.  False  croup  rarely  ends  fatally,  and  those  not 
familiar  with  the  disease  are  astonished  to  see  how  sud- 
denly it  yields  to  appropriate  remedies.  True  croup  is 
not  so  common  an  affection  as  is  generally  supposed.  A 
large  majority  of  the  cases  of  croup  belong  to  the  more 
mild  variety. 

Hoarseness  is  one  of  the  earliest  symptoms  of  croup. 
It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  a  young  child,  unless  he 
be  going  to  have  croup,  is  rarely  hoarse.  If,  therefore, 
your  child  is  languid,  indisposed  to  take  food,  with  symp- 
toms of  catarrh,  some  cough  and  hoarseness,  you  should 
be  on  the  alert  and  carefully  watch  him  so  as  to  be  ready 
at  any  moment  to  subject  him  to  the  most  vigorous 
treatment. 


CROUP.  IO5 

This  disease  is  so  frequently  fraught  with  serious  con- 
sequence that  it  is  always  best  that  a  physician  be  early 
summoned.  To  meet  emergencies  which  often  occur, 
the  following  course  of  treatment  may  be  adopted  : 

A  bath,  in  this  disease,  like  all  those  inflammatory 
diseases  that  are  the  result  of  a  damp  and  changeable 
atmosphere,  will  be  found  of  great  advantage  if  early 
administered.  Keep  on  hand  a  quantity  of  the  syrup  of 
ipecac,  wine  of  ipecac,  or  syrup  of  lobelia.  Begin  at  the 
earliest  dawn  of  the  disease  to  administer  one  of  them  in 
full  doses  every  five  to  ten  minutes  until  free  vomiting  be 
excited.  The  life  of  the  child  largely  depends  upon  the 
accomplishment  of  this  end.  Should  vomiting  be  excited 
with  difficulty,  increase  the  quantity  boldly,  assured  that 
less  danger  will  result  from  an  excess  of  the  remedy  than 
from  failure  to  accomplish  the  end  sought. 

After  free  vomiting,  the  stomach  being  well-evacuated, 
smaller  doses  of  the  remedy  may  be  given  from  time  to 
time,  keeping  up  a  free  action  of  the  skin.  A  large 
sponge,  taken  out  of  water  as  hot  as  can  be  borne  with 
safety  to  the  skin,  should  be  applied  to  the  throat  and  fre- 
quently renewed.  It  often  times  affords  great  relief  and 
ought  not  to  be  neglected.  A  saline  purgative  should  be 
given  as  soon  after  the  vomiting  as  the  stomach  will  retain 
the  medicine,  unless  the  bowels  are  already  loose.  The 
free  use  of  the  ipecac  will  have  a  tendency  to  affect  the 
bowels. 


106  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 


Whooping-Cough.    (Pertussis.) 

Whooping-cough  is  a  disease  partly  inflammatory  and 
partly  nervous,  seated  in  the  larynx  and  bronchus,  or 
windpipe,  uniting  spasms  of  the  bronchial  muscles  and 
inflammation  of  the  bronchial  mucous  membrane.  Whoop- 
ing-cough is  an  (infectious)  contagious  disease.  It  is 
characterized  by  slight  fever,  bronchitis  and  a  convulsive 
cough,  followed  by  several  slight  expiratory  efforts  ;  then 
a  long,  shrill  inspiration  and  expectoration  of  glairy 
mucous. 

The  history  of  the  disease  dates  back  only  to  the  six- 
teenth century,  soon  after  the  appearance  of  the  eruptive 
fever.  It  was  most  probably  imported  from  the  East. 
It  is  associated  with  measles,  and  appeared  about  the 
same  time.  No  combination  of  natural  causes  can  pro- 
duce it.  It  is  most  frequent  in  temperate  climates,  and 
is  most  fatal  when  cold  winters  follow  hot  summers.  It 
may  occur  at  any  age,  but  is  met  most  frequently  among 
children,  on  account  of  its  epidemic  and  contagious 
character.  One  attack  protects  from  another.  The 
mortality  from  this  disease  and  its  complications  is  very 
great,  and  more  especially  among  males.  It  is  most  fatal 
among  the  poor.  Infants  under  six  months  are  less 
liable  to  the  disease  than  older  children,  as  they  are  less 
exposed  to  all  contagions,  but  the  disease  may  commence 
before  the  child  is  born.  The  epidemics  frequently 
spread  over  large  districts.  The  contagion  may  be  car- 
ried in  the  clothing  of  the  sick. 


WHOOPING-COUGH.  1 07 

This  disease  has  three  stages:  (i)  Catarrhal ;  (2) 
Convulsive ;  (3)  Decline.  Incubation  lasts  from  two  to 
eight  days.  Invasion  sometimes  occurs  without  any 
known  cause  or  previous  evidence  of  the  disease.  There 
seems  to  be  a  peculiar  connection  between  whooping- 
cough  and  measles  ;  the  former  frequently  follows  the 
latter.  The  usual  course  of  the  disease  commences  with 
the  catarrh  and  cold  in  the  head.  Tears  or  water  flow 
freely  from  the  eyes,  and  there  is  slight  fever,  less  than 
that  which  accompanies  ordinary  catarrh.  There  is 
cough,  which  may  last  a  fortnight,  and  is  indicative  to 
a  practiced  ear.  This  cough  becomes  paroxysmal,  occur- 
ring regularly,  and  finally  convulsively.  The  little 
patient  feels  the  cough  coming  on,  and  leaves  its  play 
to  run  to  a  chair  or  some  other  object  for  support.  Then 
comes  a  short,  dry,  jerking  cough,  becoming  louder,  and 
a  number  of  short  expirations,  which  expel'  the  air  from 
the  lungs,  arresting  the  circulation  of  the  lungs,  causing 
congestion  of  the  face  and  eyes.  The  veins  are  promi- 
nent and  the  nostrils  dilate.  Then  comes  a  long,  shrill 
inspiration,  which  may  be  repeated,  then  a  sound  of 
gagging  and  a  free  discharge  of  glairy  mucous.  The 
violence  of  the  cough  sometimes  causes  evacuation  of 
the  stomach,  bowels  and  bladder,  or  a  hemorrhage  from 
the  nose  or  stomach,  or  dark  rings  about  the  eyes. 

The  paroxysms,  which  usually  occur  during  the  night, 
last  from  one-half  to  two  minutes,  returning  at  regular 
intervals,  perhaps  hourly.  They  may  be  brought  on  by 
overeating,  by  taking  food,  or  by  cold.  All  spasmodic 


IO8  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

-• 

attacks,  except  hysterical  ones,  are  apt  to  occur  at  night. 
If  the  paroxysms  are  not  too  severe,  the  child  will  return 
to  its  play,  or  it  may  become  exhausted  and  gradually 
grow  weaker. 

There  is  no  sound  heard  in  the  lung  during  the  cough 
and  none  during  the  respiration  following  it,  on  account 
of  the  bronchial  obstructions  preventing  the  air  from 
reaching  the  cells.  The  heart  palpitates  and  the  pulse 
becomes  very  frequent  during  and  immediately  after  the 
paroxysms.  During  the  decline  the  paroxysms  and  all 
the  other  symptoms  become  gradually  less  severe,  and 
then  finally  end  in  catarrh. 

In  ordinary  cases  there  are  no  bad  effects  except  loss 
of  flesh  from  vomiting,  and  loss  of  sleep  from  coughing. 
Death  from  suffocation  or  exhaustion  sometimes  occurs  in 
very  young  and  feeble  persons,  or  after  measles.  The 
great  danger  in  this  disease  is  in  what  may  follow  as  a 
consequence. 

Duration. 

The  disease  usually  lasts  from  two  to  four  months. 
Some  cases,  however,  may  last  from  seven  to  nine  months. 
In  ordinary  short  cases  the  catarrhal  stage  may  last  two 
weeks,  the  convulsions  six  or  seven,  and  the  decline  from 
one  to  three.  The  disease  has  its  shortest  course  in  mild 
climates  and  seasons.  Recoveries  are  most  frequent  in 
spring  and  summer.  If  children  contract  it  in  the  fall,  it 
will  not  likely  entirely  leave  them  until  spring. 


COMPLICATIONS. 


Complications. 

These  are  simply  respiratory,  circulatory  and  nervous. 
Bronchitis,  capillary  bronchitis,  croup  and  pneumonia,  are 
diseases  of  the  respiratory  organs  resulting  from  whooping- 
cough.  Decease  is  apt  to  occur  from  exhaustion  and 
suffocation. 

Capillary  bronchitis  may  run  into  pneumonia.  If 
pneumonia  be  circumscribed,  sudden  death  rarely  occurs. 
The  disease  is  then  more  prolonged  and  sometimes  lasts 
for  months.  About  two-thirds  of  those  attacked  with 
pneumonia  or  capillary  bronchitis  die. 

Nervous  complications  are  the  result  of  cerebral  con- 
gestion. Nervous  symptoms  may  appear  early  in  young 
infants,  or  may  not  come  on  until  later  in  the  disease. 
The  child  becomes  stupid,  drowsy,  and  has  convulsions. 
Symptoms  may  appear  very  insidiously  with  headache, 
increased  difficulty  of  breathing,  and  sickness  at  the 
stomach.  When  vomiting  occurs  at  other  times  than 
after  a  paroxysm  of  coughing,  it  is  caused  by  irritation  of 
the  brain.  Diarrhea  is  a  complication.  In  severe  cases 
it  may  indicate  serious  brain-trouble. 

Treatment. 

In  the  first  stages  treat  the  catarrh  and  husband  the 
strength  —  warm  atmosphere  day  and  night,  warm  cloth- 
ing* good  ventilation,  exercise,  and  regularity  of  the 
bowels.  In  the  first  stages,  before  the  absolute  character 
of  the  disease  is  developed,  give  syrup  of  ipecac  in  half- 
teaspoonful  doses  every  half  hour,  until  vomiting  ensues. 


IIO  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Give  that  at  night.  During  the  day  a  simple  soothing 
sprup  is  to  be  administered,  such  as  the  following  :  Pare- 
goric, one  drachm  ;  syrup  of  ipecac,  half  a  drachm  ;  syrup 
of  squills,  one  drachm  ;  syrup  of  gum-arabic,  four 
drachms  ;  water,  twelve  drachms  ;  mix,  and  give  a  tea- 
spoonful  every  three  hours  to  a  child  one  year  old.  In 
mild  cases  the  above  treatment  will  answer  quite  well,  but 
the  doses  should  be  increased  in  quantity  during  the 
second  stage. 

There  is  no  means  of  preventing  the  disease.  Guard 
from  the  disease  infants  and  those  just  weaned, 'also  those 
just  recovering  from  measles,  or  other  eruptive  diseases, 
and  those  having  lung  disease.  If  the  season  be  good 
and  the  child  healthy,  it  would  be  proper  to  permit  or, 
even  more,  encourage  contagion.  The  most  useful 
remedies  are  belladonna,  bromides,  quinine,  and  asafoetida. 
The  great  remedy  is  belladonna.  It  may  be  necessary  to 
push  it,  and,  on  account  of  its  potency,  it  should  be 
administered  with  caution.  In  simple  cases  one  dose 
daily  will  be  sufficient,  and  may  be  administered  in  the 
following  formula :  Fluid  extract  of  belladonna,  twelve 
drops;  sulphate  of  morphine,  one  grain  ;  syrup  of  squills, 
one  ounce  ;  water  sufficient  to  make  two  ounces  ;  mix. 
Dose:  From  half  to  a  teaspoonful  at  night  to  a  child  from 
three  to  six  years  old.  In  the  case  of  infants,  begin  by 
giving  four  or  five  drops,  and  increase  until  the  effect  is 
gained.  In  older  children,  begin  with  ten  or  fifteen  drops. 
When  given  at  night,  the  depressing  effects  are  not  felt. 
In  bad  cases,  half  a  dose  may  be  given  after  breakfast. 


TREATMENT.  Ill 

One  or  two  doses  may  be  given  through  the  day.  Ir» 
very  bad  cases  the  bromides  should  also  be  administered: 
Bromide  of  ammonia,  one  drachm  ;  bromide  of  soda,  one- 
half  ounce  ;  water,  three  ounces.  Make  a  solution,  and 
give  half  a  teaspoonful  to  a  child  from  three  to  six  years 
old  —  more  or  less  according  to  the  age. 

Dr.  Meigs  recommends  alum  in  the  following  formula: 
Pulverized  alum,  half  a  drachm  ;  white  sugar,  one  drachm  ; 
mix  thoroughly  and  divide  into  fifteen  powders,  and  give 
one  dissolved  in  water  every  three  to  five  hours.  If  the 
expectoration  become  scanty,  give  the  following  :  Syrup 
of  ipecac,  one  drachm;  syrup  of  squills,  two  drachms; 
syrup  of  wild  cherry  and  acacia,  each  four  drachms  ;  water, 
five  drachms  ;  mix.  Uose  :  a  teaspoonful  as  often  as 
necessary  to  restore  the  expectoration. 

To  move  the  bowels,  mix  together  equal  parts  of  castor 
oil  and  New  Orleans  molasses,  and  give  from  one  to  two 
teaspoonfuls,  according  to  the  age  of  the  child.  Quinine 
is  the  best  tonic,  and  arrests  the  reflex  irritability  of  the 
nerves.  It  should  be  given  in  large  doses.  It  may  be 
made  into  a  soft  pill  and  given  in  jelly.  If  children  can- 
not take  quinine  by  mouth,  it  may  be  given  in  injections. 
Asafoetida  is  a  remedy  of  much  importance  in  whooping- 
cough,  and  children  take  it  very  readily.  Give  a  child  of 
six  years  a  teaspoonful  of  the  asafcetida  mixture  two  or 
three  times  a  day.  Asafcetida  may  be  administered  by 
the  rectum  in  small  children  with  very  satisfactory  results. 
It  is  given  at  the  close  of  the  second  stage,  and  the  begin- 
ning of  the  third.  The  elixir  of  quinia,  strychnia,  and  iron 


112        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

are  good,  or  the  tincture  of  the  chloride  of  iron.      Any  of 
these  may  be  given  when  a  tonic  is  required. 

Vaccination. 

For  many  centuries  past  medical  men  had  practiced 
inoculation  with  the  virus  of  small-pox,  believing  that  when 
the  disease  was  so  induced,  it  was  less  virulent  in  its 
effects  upon  the  sufferer  than  when  acquired  in  the  usual 
way  of  exposure.  In  1718  Lady  Mary  Wortley  Montague, 
while  visiting  at  Constantinople,  became  a  convert  to  this 
modified  method  of  propagating  the  disease  of  small-pox, 
and,  upon  her  return  to  England,  demonstrated  her  belief 
in  its  sufficiency  by  permitting  her  son  to  be  inoculated. 
By  this  means  inoculation  was  introduced  into  Great 
Britain,  and  then  spread  over  the  continent  of  Europe  and 
proved  to  be  of  much  benefit  in  modifying  the  severity  of 
this  much-dreaded  disease.  But  it  remained  for  a  distin- 
guished physician  by  the  name  of  Jenner  to  discover,  by 
various  and  prolonged  experiments,  and  to  introduce 
vaccination,  that  masterpiece  of  medical  induction. 

Vaccination  is  a  process  by  which  a  specific  disease 
termed  "  cow-pox  "  is  introduced  into  the  human  organ- 
ism, with  a  view  to  protecting  it  against  an  attack  of  a 
disorder  of  much  greater  severity  —  small-pox.  The 
method  of  vaccination,  and  its  proper  effects  upon  the 
human  subject,  are  mainly  the  object  of  the  present 
inquiry. 

Children  should  only  be  vaccinated  when  in  apparent 
good  health,  except  in  circumstances  in  which  they  have 


VACCINATION.  1 1  3 

been  exposed  to  small-pox.  Children  suffering  from 
diarrhea,  skin  diseases,  and  chafing  behind  the  ears,  in 
the  groins,  or  in  the  folds  of  the  neck,  should  not  be 
vaccinated,  except  in  extreme  circumstances.  Inasmuch 
as  more  than  one-fourth  of  the  deaths  resulting  from 
small-pox  occur  in  children  under  one  year  of  age,  it  is 
important  that  vaccination  should  be  performed  when  the 
child  is  quite  young,  provided  its  health  will  permit. 
Dr.  Seaton,  in  his  comprehensive  work  on  this  subject, 
recommends  that  plump,  healthy  children,  living  in  large 
towns,  should  be  vaccinated  when  a  month  or  six  weeks 
old,  but  that  in  more  delicate  children  the  vaccination 
should  be  deferred  until  they  are  two  or  three  months 
old,  but  all  excepting  those  whose  state  of  health  centra- 
indicate,  should  be  vaccinated  at  the  age  of  three  months. 
It  is  always  best  to  vaccinate  early  enough  to  avoid  the 
period  of  dentition. 

The  lymph  to  be  used  in  vaccination  should  always  be 
taken  either  directly  from  the  cow,  or  from  a  healthy- 
child.  The  initial  factor  in  this  discovery  was  obtained 
by  observing  that  dairy  maids  contracted  a  disorder  from 
the  cow  which  rendered  them  unsusceptible  to  an  attack 
of  small-pox.  Taking  hold  of  this  idea,  and  following  it 
by  various  experiments,  Jenner  arrived  at  the  conclusion 
(i)  that  cow-pox,  communicated  to  man,  has  the  power 
to  render  him  unsusceptible  of  small-pox  ;  (2)  that  the 
specific  cow-pox  alone  (and  not  other  eruptions  effecting 
the  cow,  and  which  might  be  confounded  with  it)  had  this 
protective  power  ;  (3)  that  the  cow-pox  might  be  com- 


114        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

municated  at  will  from  the  cow  to  man  by  the  hand  of  the 
surgeon,  whenever  the  requisite  opportunity  existed,  and 
(4)  that  the  cow-pox,  once  engrafted  on  the  human  sub- 
ject, might  be  continued  from  individual  to  individual  by 
successive  transmissions,  conferring  on  each  the  same 
immunity  from  small-pox  as  was  enjoyed  by  the  one  who 
was  first  infected  direct  from  the  cow. 

The  present  method  of  obtaining  the  virus  with  which 
to  vaccinate  is  to  inoculate  a  healthy  cow  with  small-pox, 
and  induce  the  disorder  of  cow-pox.  The  lymph  from 
the  vesicles  of  cow-pox  should  be  inserted  into  the  organ- 
ism of  a  healthy  child,  and  the  lymph-crusts  produced  by 
this  means  may  be  used  to  ingraft  the  disorder  in  other 
individuals.  The  vesicles  may  be  characteristic  of  the 
disease,  and  fully  formed,  which  is  six  or  eight  days 
after  the  vaccination  ;  if  the  crust  be  not  taken  until  the 
bright  inflamed  ring  around  the  vesicle  is  complete,  its 
protective  power  against  the  disease  is  very  much  less- 
ened. Prime  lymph  is  more  or  less  sticky.  If  it  be  thin 
and  watery,  it  should  be  rejected.  The  best  vaccine 
material  is  taken  from  babies  still  upon  the  breast,  with 
dark  complexion  and  smooth  skin,  and  who  are  free  from 
all  evidences  of  strumous  affections.  The  most  efficient 
method  of  vaccination  is  that  of  passing  the  lymph  directly 
from  the  arm  of  one  child  to  that  of  another,  as  it  fre- 
quently happens  that  the  virtue  of  the  lymph  is  lost  in  the 
attempt  to  preserve  it.  A  good  vesicle,  freely  punctured, 
will  exude  sufficient  vaccine  material  for  the  direct  vacci- 
nation of  half  a  dozen  children. 


VACCINATION.   '  I  I  5 

The  ability  to  vaccinate  requires  but  little  skill,  yet 
some  general  directions  may  be  necessary  in  order  to 
insure  success.  The  lymph  should  be  inserted  under  the 
cuticle  in  the  true  skin,  so  as  to  be  brought  in  contact  with 
the  absorbent  vessels,  and  thus  carried  into  the  circulation. 
Care  should  be  taken  to  not  induce  much  bleeding,  lest 
the  lymph  be  washed  away  by  the  blood.  Various  instru- 
ments have  been  invented  with  which  to  perform  the 
operation,  but  almost  any  kind  of  sharp  instrument  may 
be  made  to  subserve  the  purpose,  provided  it  be  clean. 
The  position  usually  selected  is  upon  the  outside  of  the 
arm,  below  the  shoulder.  The  importance  of  the  uniform 
location  upon  the  individual  for  the  introduction  of  the 
lymph  is  manifest.  It  renders  easy  subsequent  examina- 
tion to  ascertain  if  the  individual  has  been  vaccinated,  or 
if  he  have  the  characteristic  mark  left  by  the  vesicle. 

In  performing  the  operation,  the  skin  should  be  held 
upon  a  stretch.  With  a  sharp,  clean  lancet,  well  charged 
with  lymph,  held  at  an  angle  of  45  degrees,  make  several 
punctures  from  above  downward.  The  pocket  thus  formed 
will  retain  the  lymph.  These  punctures  may  be  half  an 
inch  from  each  other.  If  the  lymph  be  preserved  on 
"  points,"  as  is  sometimes  the  case,  the  "  points  "  should 
be  exposed  to  a  current  of  steam  until  the  lymph  is  dis 
solved,  and  then  introduced  into  the  punctures  or  pockets 
made  by  the  lancet.  Others  make  a  number  of  parallel 
scratches,  and  across  these  make  a  like  number  of  parallel 
scratches,  and  then  apply  the  lymph  with  the  flat  side  of 
the  lancet,  rubbing  thoroughly  into  the  skin.  Many 


Il6        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

persons  make  these  scratches  quite  successfully  with  a 
sharp  needle. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  or  fourth  day,  if  the  operation 
has  been  successfully  performed,  the  skin  at  the  spot 
becomes  slightly  elevated,  hard  and  red.  On  the 
fifth  or  sixth,  a  vesicle  of  bluish-white  color  arises,  which 
presents  an  elevated  edge  with  a  cup  in  the  center.  It 
fills  up  with  clear  lymph,  and  is  matured  about  the  eighth 
day.  It  is  surrounded  by  an  inflamed  ring  or  areola. 
On  the  ninth,  tenth  or  eleventh  day  the  vesicle  becomes  a 
pustule,  the  cup  disappearing,  and  the  areola  enlarges 
until  it  becomes  a  circle  two  or  three  inches  in  diameter. 
In  the  following  two  or  three  days  the  pustule  dries  up, 
and,  in  the  course  of  a  few  days,  or  a  week  at  most,  it 
falls  off.  There  remains  a  cicatrix,  or  scar,  which  is 
usually  permanent,  circular,  somewhat  depressed,  and 
covered  with  small  dots  or  pits.  In  the  case  of  young 
children  these  marks  may  disappear  late  in  life. 

Accompanying  the  development  of  a  pustule  there  is 
more  or  less  constitutional  disturbance,  indicated  by  rest- 
lessness, headache,  increase  of  temperature,  and  derange- 
ment of  the  stomach  and  bowels,  and  occasionally  some 
'  swelling  under  the  armpits.  These  symptoms  are  at  times 
quite  severe,  and  are  seldom  entirely  wanting.  Cases  are 
sometimes  met  in  which  these  symptoms  are  more  or  less 
modified,  either  by  being  retarded  or  accelerated,  irregular 
or  spurious,  and  it  should  not  be  forgotten  that  any 
vaccination  deviating  from  the  perfect  character  of  the 
vesicle  and  the  regular  development  of  the  areola,  is  not 


LEARNING   TO    WALK.  117 

to  be  relied  upon  as  protecting  against  small-pox.  As  a 
general  rule,  neither  the  local  nor  constitutional  symptoms 
require  any  tieatment,  but  will  run  their  course  and 
subside. 

All  persons  vaccinated  in  childhood  should  be  vac- 
cinated at  puberty.  The  second  vaccination  should  be 
performed  with  the  same  care  as  the  first,  and  should  not 
be  neglected  until  some  epidemic  of  small-pox  exists.  In 
epidemics  of  small-pox  everybody  should  be  vaccinated 
to  insure  safety.  Vaccination  in  early  life  is  not  always 
immunity  from  small-pox  in  advanced  life,  neither  does 
small-pox  itself  always  protect  from  a  second  attack. 

Learning  to  Walk. 

When  the  infant  is  a  few  months  old,  depending  upon 
its  general  vigor,  it  may  be  placed  upon  the  floor,  on  a 
soft  mat  or  carpet.  It  will  be  free  to  toss  its  limbs  about 
and  develop  the  muscles  which  are  soon  to  be  brought 
into  requisition.  Its  naturally  restless  disposition  will  be 
dissatisfied  with  one  position  and  one  location,  hence  it 
will  soon  be  found  upon  its  stomach,  reaching  out  its 
hands,  like  a  boy  learning  to  swim,  drawing  up  its  legs 
and  stretching  them  out  again,  and  in  a  very  short  time 
will  have  learned  to  crawl. 

This  will  exercise  every  muscle  of  the  body  without 
fatigue.  It  throws  no  weight  upon  the  bones  of  the  legs, 
but  only  imparts  vigor  and  strength,  and  is  highly  useful. 
Having  made  this  progress,  its  restless  nature  is  still 
unsatisfied,  and  laying  hold  of  some  object,  say  a  chair,  it 


Il8  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

will  endeavor  by  this  aid  to  lift  itself  upon  its  feet.  It  is 
not  easily  disheartened.  Though  it  fall  again  and  again, 
it  will  persevere  until  by  this  means  it  learns  to  raise  itself 
upon  its  feet  and  stand,  but  not  without  holding  to  the 
chair. 

It  will  now  soon  be  found  lifting  its  feet  alternately  and 
replacing  them  upon  the  floor.  Next  it  will  shove  the 
chair  from  it,  keeping  hold  with  its  hands,  and  draw  itself 
up  to  an  erect  position.  After  a  few  experiments  of  this 
kind,  it  may  let  go  of  the  chair  to  examine  some  object 
that  may  have  been  put  in  its  way,  and  then  will  laugh  at 
its  ability  to  stand.  This  adventure  it  will  repeat,  day 
after  day,  with  increased  exultation,  until,  after  frequent 
trials,  it  becomes  more  confident  of  its  ability  to  balance 
itself,  and  lets  go  of  its  support  entirely  and  stands 
alone. 

Time  only  is  required  to  accomplish  this  natural 
process,  by  which  the  bones  and  muscles  are  strengthened 
and  made  able  to  bear  the  weight  of  the  body  as  soon  as 
the  child  has  gained  sufficient  courage  to  warrant  it  to 
trust  itself.  It  is  not  merely  a  lack  of  strength  that 
prevents  a  very  young  child  from  walking.  The  curved 
slope  of  the  legs  causes  the  soles  of  the  feet  to  face  each 
other,  and  they  cannot  adapt  themselves  to  a  horizontal 
surface.  Some  time  is  required  to  change  the  position  of 
the  feet,  so  they  maybe  fitted  for  support  and  locomotion. 
The  first  efforts  of  a  child  in  learning  to  walk  should  be 
carefully  watched,  so  as  to  protect  from  injury,  but  not  to 
afford  any  especial  assistance. 


THE  CHILD. 


General  Causes  of   Diseases    Resulting    From    Errors   in 

Diet. 

HAVING,  in  the  remarks  on  food  of  infancy  and  early 
childhood,  given  such  advice  and  warnings  as  may  be 
necessary  to  a  proper  understanding  of  the  healthful  needs 
of  the  system  in  early  life,  a  few  further  suggestions  on  the 
use  and  abuse  of  food  in  more  mature  life  are  proper. 

Food  has  two  great  offices  to  perform  —  first,  to  main- 
tain the  heat  of  the  system,  second  to  supply  waste,  and, 
in  the  young,  to  provide  for  growth.  Without  the  first 
the  temperature  would  fall  below  the  standard  of  health  ; 
without  the  second,  the  consumption  of  the  body  would  be 
effected. 

Much  has  been  said  by  physiologists  about  the  absolute 
amount  of  waste  that  goes  on  in  the  body  every  twenty- 
four  hours,  hence  the  large  quantity  of  nutritious  material 
necessary  to  keep  up  the  supply.  But,  since  all  of  the 
nutriment  does  not  pass  in  through  the  mouth,  it  is  impos- 
sible to  make  an  exact  calculation.  The  skin  not  only 
secretes  fluids,  but  is  a  powerful  absorbant.  This  may  be 
demonstrated  by  taking  the  weight  of  the  body  before  a 
meal  and  one  hour  after.  The  increase  in  weight  will  be 
greater  than  the  amount  received  by  the  mouth.  This  is 

119 


I2O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

an  additional  reason  for  having  said  so  much  on  the  sub- 
ject of  baths,  that  the  skin  may  be  free  to  discharge  its 
proper  functions. 

It  will  be  impossible  to  lay  down  any  infallible  rule  as 
to  the  amount  of  nutritious  material  that  should  be  daily 
taken  into  the  system,  as  so  much  depends  on  exercise, 
labor,  atmospheric  conditions,  evaporation,  etc.  Nature 
has  made  some  provision  for  slight  excesses  by  the  excre- 
tions and  the  storehouse  of  deposits.  The  old  adage  is 
"  Bread  is  the  staff  of  life  ;"  but  the  Bible  says  "  Man  shall 
not  live  by  bread  alone. "  If  you  give  this  a  natural  sig- 
nification, it  implies  that  something  else  is  needed  for  the 
food  of  man.  What  is  that  something  ?  Milk,  fat  and 
fluids,  as  water.  In  these  we  have  all  that  is  required. 
There  is  starch  for  the  body-food  ;  albumen  for  tissue- 
repair  in  the  glutine  ;  there  are  the  earthy  salts,  and  the 
fat,  which  is  partly  consumed  in  body-fluid  and  partly 
employed  in  building  healthy  tissue.  Let  us  take  a 
mouthful  of  bread  and  butter  and  trace  its  history  through 
the  system,  thus  learning  to  admire  the  wonderful  opera- 
tion of  Nature  in  the  constructive  metamorphosis  of  the 
human  economy.  On  being  placed  in  the  mouth  for 
mastication,  it  excites  a  set  of  glands  that  pour  out  a  fluid 
called  saliva,  which  on  being  brought  into  contact  with 
the  starch  granules,  and  the  conversion  of  insoluble 
starch  into  soluble  sugar  is  begun.  When  the  food  is 
swallowed  a  new  action  is  set  up.  The  soluble  parts  of 
the  food  pass  through  the  gastric  vessels  into  the  portal 
vein,  leaving  the  undissolved  portions  behind.  The  acid 


GENERAL   CAUSES    OF   DISEASES.  121 

gastric  juice  acts  upon  this  residue,  and  by  dissolving  it 
liberates  the  remaining  starch  granules  that  had  escaped 
the  action  of  the  saliva.  When  this  pulpy  mass  pasvses  out 
of  the  stomach,  through  the  pyloric  valve,  into  the  duo- 
denum, or,  as  it  is  sometimes  called,  the  second  stomach, 
it  meets  some  additional  fluids  called  pancreatic  juice  and 
bile,  when  the  most  active  part  of  digestion  is  set  up. 
The  liberated  starch  granules  come  in  contact  with  the 
diastase  of  the  pancreatic  secretions,  and  are  by  it  con- 
verted into  soluble  grape  sugar — the  fat  into  emulsion. 
In  this  condition,  by  the  action  of  numerous  absorbing 
vessels,  it  is  carried  through  the  portal  vessels  and  mixed 
with  the  blood  and  thus  supplies  the  waste  produced  from 
the  "  wear  and  tear"  of  the  system.  This  is  the  disposi- 
tion Nature  makes  of  bread,  to  supply  the  carbo-hydrates 
(starch  and  sugar)  albuminoids,  fat  and  earthy  salts. 

No  matter  what  art  or  skill  may  be  called  into  ex- 
ercise in  the  preparation  of  food  to  satisfy  the  vitiated 
appetite,  these  are  the  essential  elements  of  the  food  of 
man,  and  everything  he  eats  necessary  for  his  sustenance 
must  undergo  this  chemical  analysis  before  it  can  be 
utilized  by  his  organism.  The  carbo-hydrates  form  the 
body-fuel.  The  overplus  is  stored  as  fat.  The  albumi- 
noids repair  the  wasted  tissue.  The  salts  form  the  blood- 
salts.  The  fat  helps  to  build  up  the  normal  health- tissues. 
The  excess  is  burned  as  fuel.  This  is  the  legitimate  object 
of  food. 

The  cook,  however,  goes  forth  into  the  great  store- 
house of  Nature,  gathers  alike  from  the  animal  and 


122  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

vegetable  kingdom,  exercises  in  the  preparation  of  food 
all  the  skill  of  his  art,  and  in  it  all  accomplishes  nothing 
more  than  the  savage.  Hunger  compels  the  individual  to 
take  food  to  fill  the  stomach.  The  palate  guides  him  in 
his  choice.  If  the  food  be  simple,  there  is  little  or  no 
temptation  to  over-indulgence.  But,  through  the  ingen- 
uity and  advice  of  the  culinary  art,  his  judgment  is 
dethroned  and  appetite  yields  to  temptation,  just  as  it  did 
at  the  dawn  of  our  race,  when  it  was  declared  that  "  the 
tree  was  good  for  food. " 

Man  must  eat  to  live,  but  not  live  to  eat.  The  object 
of  food  is  simply  the  support  of  the  body,  and  not  the 
gratification  of  the  appetite.  Having  said  this  much  on 
the  subject  of  food  and  the  form  it  assumes  in  order  to  be 
assimilated,  that  the  continual  waste  going  on  in  the 
system  may  be  repaired,  some  further  remarks  on  some  of 
the  more  common  kinds  of  food  and  best  methods  of 
preparation  are  deemed  necessary,  that  the  end  sought 
may  be  better  attained. 

Following  the  index  of  Nature,  meat  should  not  enter 
into  the  dietary  of  children  until  after  the  development  of 
the  canine  teeth.  Especially  is  this  true,  if  the  meat  be 
not  thoroughly  cooked.  Various  methods  of  preparing 
meats  for  the  table  have  been  introduced  by  the  culinary 
art.  One  of  the  most  ordinary  is  by  boiling.  Two  ends 
must  be  kept  in  view  in  boiling  meat.  If  the  liquor  in 
which  the  meat  is  boiled  be  intended  to  be  used  as  soup, 
by  adding  simply  some  savory  condiment  or  vegetable, 
the  meat  should  be  put  into  cold  water  and  all  brought  to 


GENERAL    CAUSES   OF   DISEASES.  123 

the  boil,  sufficient  water  only  being  used  to  cover  the 
meat,  keeping  up  the  waste  caused  by  evaporation  by  the 
addition  of  water  from  time  to  time,  as  may  be  necessary. 
This  liquid  may  be  served  either  with  or  without 
vegetables,  and  may  prove  to  be  both  palatable  and 
nutritious. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  meat  has  lost  whatever  the 
soup  has  gained  by  this  process.  If  the  meat  be  the  first 
consideration,  then  the  water  must  be  boiling  when  the 
meat  is  put  in  it.  When  it  is  thus  introduced  into  boiling 
water,  the  albumen  of  the  flesh  is  immediately  coagulated 
on  the  surface  to  a  certain  depth  inward,  thus  forming  a 
skin  or  shell,  which  no  longer  permits  the  juice  of  the 
meat  to  flow  out,  nor  the  water  to  penetrate  into  the  mass. 
The  flesh  continues  juicy  and  as  well-flavored  as  it  can 
possibly  become.  Meats  so  prepared  will  be  found  much 
more  palatable  than  if  placed  in  cold  water. 

Another  very  common  and-  perhaps  the  most  ancient 
method  of  cooking  meat  is  by  roasting.  The  savage 
could  put  a  piece  of  meat  on  his  stick  and  expose  it  to 
the  fire,  turning  as  was  necessary  until  cooked.  Civiliza- 
tion invented  "  spits,"  and  dogs  were  utilized  as  "  turn- 
spits "  to  keep  the  meat  turning  before  the  fire,  but 
basting  is  also  necessary  to  keep  the  meat  from  burning. 
It  requires  more  time  to  roast  than  to  boil  meat.  Fresh 
meat  is  better  suited  for  roasting  and  salt  meat  for  boiling. 

Similar  directions  should  be  observed  in  roasting  as  in 
boiling  meat.  It  should  at  first  be  subjected  to  a  strong 
heat,  that  the  albumen  on  the  surface  be  speedily  coagu- 


124  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

lated  and  the  escape  of  the'  juices  speedily  arrested.  The 
basting  should  be  assiduously  attended  to.  Meat  should 
be  roasted  either  in  front  of  an  open  fire  or  what  is  called 
a  "  reflector  "  in  a  range.  Some  cooks  place  the  meat  in 
a  close  oven,  and  bake  rather  than  roast  it.  Meat  treated 
in  this  way  loses  less  weight  than  by  any  other  method, 
but  what  is  gained  in  weight  is  lost  in  flavor.  Broiling  is 
a  very  savory  method  of  treating  meat,  and  when  properly 
done  renders  the  food  quite  palatable.  Frying  flesh, 
except  it  be  bacon  or  ham,  is  an  abuse  of  the  culinary  art. 
It  is,  however,  a  very  admirable  way  of  treating  fish.  In 
whatever  way  meat  is  prepared  for  the  family  it  should  be 
cooked.  The  practice  of  eating  raw  meat  belongs  to 
barbarous  tribes.  In  cooking  meat  there  is  no  change  in 
its  life-giving  principle,  but  the  muscular  fibers  are  loosened 
by  the  action  of  heat,  while  the  coagulation  of  the 
albumen  renders  the  fibers  more  brittle.  Consequently, 
cooked  meat  is  more  easily  masticated  than  raw.  Further 
disintegration  is  facilitated,  and  disintegration  precedes 
solution,  and  solution  precedes  absorption,  and  absorption 
precedes  assimilation. 

Bread,  which  enters  more  largely  into  the  food  of  rnan, 
being  styled  "  the  staff  of  life,"  was  first  made  from 
bruised  grain,  and  contained  all  the  elements  of  that 
cereal.  But  cooks,  long  before  chemistry  was  able  to 
point  out  their  error,  became  dissatisfied  with  the  color 
and  quality  of  the  food  thus  made,  and  influenced  the 
manufacturers  of  flour  to  devise  some  means  to  remove 
the  external  coat  and  thereby  improve  the  color  of  the 


GENERAL    CAUSES    OF   DISEASES.  12$ 

flour.  By  so  doing  they  unfortunately  get  rid  of  the 
salts,  to  please  the  eye  at  the  expense  of  the  well-being  of 
those  who  were  to  be  fed  from  bread  deficient  in  very 
important  elements. 

An  erroneous  taste  dies  hard,  hence  every  attempt  to 
turn  to  the  use  of  "  all-wheat  flour  "  has  met  with  little 
success.  Those  only  who  have  become  invalids  by  the 
free  use  of  those  improvements  of  art,  and  can  no  longer 
indulge  in  such  refinement,  can  be  induced  to  return  to 
"  the  good  old  way. " 

Flour,  as  at  present  made,  is  much  inferior  for  life- 
supporting  purposes  to  that  in  earlier  times.  It  is  not 
only  deprived  of  its  blood-food  in  the  loss  of  the  bran, 
but  also  its  nerve-food  in  the  loss  of  the  germ.  In  order 
that  flour  be  properly  utilized,  it  is  necessary  to  convert  it 
into  bread.  How  is  this  accomplished  ?  Mixed  with 
water,  a  little  salt  and  yeast,  flour  made  into  dough  was 
placed  under  the  influence  of  moderate  heat,  and  on 
becoming  spongy  or  light  is  made  into  loaves  and  baked. 
This  baking  process  converts  some  of  the  insoluble  starch 
into  soluble  dextrine.  The  higher  the  temperature,  the 
longer  the  time  the  bread  is  exposed  while  baking,  the 
greater  will  be  the  quantity  of  dextrine  formed,  and  the 
more  easily  will  the  mass  be  digested  and  assimilated. 
For  the  same  reason  the  crust  of  bread  is  the  most  healthy 
for  children  and  persons  of  weak  digestion.  Newly-made 
bread  is  poisonous  to  most  dyspeptics.  From  its  moist 
nature  it  readily  goes  into  a  pulp  in  the  mouth,  while 
stale  bread  is  dryer  and  of  firmer  consistency  and  does  not 


126  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

easily  lose  its  spongy  nature.  This  every  cook  has 
observed  in  attempting  to  make  bread  dressings.  Hot 
rolls  are  toothsome,  but  not  easily  digested.  When  flour 
has  been  mixed  with  fat,  as  lard  or  butter,  as  is  done  in 
making  pastry,  the  starch  and  fat  are  so  intimately  mixed 
and  incorporated  that  the  saliva  cannot  get  at  the  starch- 
granules  because  they  are  enveloped  in  fat.  Conse- 
quently, there  remains  the  insoluble  starch  and  fat  to 
produce  the  stomach-ache. 

Corn  bread  is  now  directed  to  be  made  by  mixing  up 
a  thick  batter,  placed  in  earthen  molds  and  baked 
quickly,  less  than  half  an  hour.  Then  it  is  usually  eaten 
quickly  ;  but  little  time  is  given  the  saliva  to  act  upon 
the  starch.  Is  it  a  surprise  that  the  outraged  stomach 
soon  rebels  ?  Imposed  upon  by  such  large  quantities  of 
unchanged  starch,  how  long  can  it  be  expected  to  endure 
such  abuse  ? 

It  should  be  remembered  that  the  albumen  of  corn  is 
not  gluten,  hence  will  not  alone  make  good  bread, 
especially  when  it  is  only  exposed  to  the  heat  for  such  a 
short  time.  It  would  be  found  much  more  digestible  if 
combined  with  wheat  flour.  The  old  method  of  preparing 
"  Johnny-cake  "  made  much  more  easily-digested  bread. 
The  meal  was  mixed  into  a  thick  mass  with  water,  spread 
thinly  on  a  board,  and  placed  before  an  open  fire  until 
well  browned,  then  turned  over,  exposing  the  other  side 
in  the  same  way  to  the  fire,  until  the  whole  cake  was 
thoroughly  browned.  This  long  exposure  to  the  intense 
heat  set  free  much  of  the  insoluble  starch.  Besides,  the 


GENERAL    CAUSES    OF   DISEASES.  I2/ 

bread,  being  quite  hard  and  dry,  required  much  longer 
time  for  mastication,  mixing  it  more  thoroughly  with  the 
juices  of  the  mouth,  and  relieving  the  stomach  of  much 
labor. 

It  is  not  the  purpose  of  this  inquiry  to  go  over  in 
review  all  the  cakes  and  puddings  that  have  been  intro- 
duced into  the  dietary  of  this  civilization.  Suffice  it  to 
say  that  these  are  largely  unfit  to  be  placed  in  the  stomach 
of  either  children  or  adults.  Doctors  and  vendors  of 
patent  nostrums  for  the  cure  of  the  ills  these  toothsome 
dishes  daily  manufacture  are  furnished  with  plenty  of 
business. 

Starches  of  various  kinds  are  used  in  milk  for  pud- 
dings, and  make  an  admirable  dish  for  children  and 
dyspeptics.  Starch  manufactured  from  corn  is  found  in 
many  kitchens.  There  is  the  starch  of  sago,  rice,  tapioca, 
etc.  The  application  of  heat  to  these  articles  of  food 
before  adding  the  milk  would  greatly  facilitate  the  con- 
version of  starch. 

Dr.  Fothergill  gives  a  formula  for  making  the  most 
perfectly-digestible  milk  pudding  :  Add  some  ground  malt 
to  baked  starch  ;  then  pour  over  some  warm  milk  ;  stir  the 
whole  together  and  set  in  a  warm  place  before  putting  in 
the  oven. 

The  potato  lies  midway  between  starch  and  vegetable. 
It  is  very  rich  in  starch,  so  that  boiled  potatoes  mashed 
are  frequently  mixed  with  flour  in  preparing  bread.  In 
none  of  the  vegetables  is  there  a  greater  necessity  for 
cooking  than  the -potato.  It  is  transformed  from  a  hard, 


128  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

indigestible  mass  to  a  ball  of  flour.  Much  has  been  said 
about  the  different  methods  of  cooking  potatoes.  Some 
bake,  some  boil,  some  steam,  some  pour  off  the  first 
water,  others  pour  off  the  water  when  the  boiling  is  com- 
pleted, and  leave  the  potatoes  a  little  time  in  the  pan  to 
evaporate  the  remaining  water  ;  some  mash  the  potatoes 
and  add  cream  and  butter.  There  is  but  little  difference 
in  these  methods,  and  the  cook  is  safe  in  adopting  that  one 
by  which  is  produced  the  greatest  disintegration  of  the 
naturally  hard,  indigestible  mass. 

Vegetables  should  occupy  a  much  larger  place  in  the 
diet  of  families  than  they  do.  Many  of  them,  as  the  roots, 
abound' in  starch  and  sugar,  while  others,  as  cabbage, 
cauliflower,  spinach,  lettuce,  celery,  etc.,  are  rich  in  alka- 
line salts  and  alkaline  earths.  The  old-fashioned  "  boiled 
dinner  "  united  in  cooking  the  meat  and  vegetables  ;  that 
which  is  lacking  in  the  meat  should  be  supplied  by  the 
salts  of  the  others. 

Vegetables,  to  be  palatable,  should  be  ripe  and  fresh. 
They  are  succulent  and  lose  water  rapidly  ;  dryness  renders 
them  unfit  for  food.  They  should  be  fit  to  cook  in  boiling 
water,  great  care  being  taken  to  cook  until  done  and  no 
longer.  They  are  very  unpalatable  if  raw,  and  if  left  too 
long  over  the  fire  they  lose  all  their  flavor. 

Many  vegetables  are  eaten  uncooked,  in  the  form  of 
salads  ;  others  alone.  Many  of  the  salads  are  quite  indi- 
gestible. A  great  variety  of  dressings  have  been  intro- 
duced for  salads.  A  rule  is  found  in  the  Spanish  proverb, 
"  To  make  a  perfect  salad  there  should  be  a  miser  for  oil, 


GENERAL   CAUSES   OF   DISEASES.  I2Q 

a  spendthrift  for  vinegar,  a  wise  man  for  salt,  and  a  mad- 
cap to  stir  and  mix  all  together. " 

Fruits  form  another  factor  in  the  food  of  man.  They 
are  certainly  wholesome  if  eaten  in  limited  quantities  and 
at  proper  times.  Either  unripe  or  over-ripe  fruit  is  unfit 
for  the  human  stomach,  and  should  be  rejected.  Fruits 
should  be  eaten  generally  at  meals,  and  but  little  danger 
should  be  feared  of  eating  too  much.  Many  of  the  small 
fruits  that  are  used  as  desserts  are  very  palatable,  and  thus 
eaten  are  not  objectionable.  Persons  differ  widely  in  their 
choice  of  fruits.  Cotton's  mother  said  :  "  Doubtless  God 
could  make  a  better  fruit  than  a  strawberry,  but  doubtless 
He  has  not."  Others,  however,  might  prefer  the  rasp- 
berry, blackberry,  grape  or  orange.  Fruit  contains  sugar, 
acid,  and  alkaline  salts.  The  influence  of  the  alkalies  is 
shown  in  a  decisive  manner  in  the  effects  produced  on  the 
salts  of  our  organic  acid  in  the  circulation.  It  has  long 
been  observed  that  after  eating  juicy  fruits,  cherries, 
strawberries,  apples,  etc.,  the  urine  becomes  alkaline. 
The  utility  of  such  foods  in  persons  disposed  to  gout  and 
rheumatism  is  apparent,  and  persons  thus  afflicted  should 
use  fruits  freely  and  teach  their  children  to  follow  their 
example,  thus  saving  doctors'  potions  in  after-life.  This 
makes  plain  the  theory  of  curing  rheumatism  by  eating 
lemons. 

The  normal  functions  of  the  stomach  are  not  only 
affected  by  the  quality  of  the  food  eaten,  but  by  the 
quantity,  the  nature  and  the  amount  of  exercise  taken, 
the  length  of  time  intervening  between  meals,  the  general 


130  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

state  of  health,  the  condition  of  the  mind,  climate,  etc. 
By  having  a  general  knowledge  of  the  digestibility  of  the 
different  kinds  of  food  when  the  system  is  in  health,  the 
observing  may  discriminate  properly  and  select  only  that 
which  is  most  easily  digested  and  most  appropriate  when 
the  eater  may  be  out  of  health. 

In  the  experiment  of  Dr.  Beaumont  it  was  discovered 
that  indigestible  substances  in  the  stomach  interfere  with 
the  process  of  assimilation  of  that  part  more  easily 
digested.  This  being  true,  how  easily  may  we  retard 
the  assimilation  of  a  fairly-digestible  meal  by  the  addition 
of  an  unhealthy  dessert  ?  Experiments  have  farther 
proven  that  the  temperature  of  the  stomach  is  lowered  by 
the  free  use  of  ice-water  either  during  meals  or  after,  or 
ice-cream  for  dessert,  as  is  common.  The  process  of 
digestion  will,  for  a  time  at  least,  be  stopped.  It  was 
observed  by  the  authority  above. quoted  that  the  injection 
of  a  gill  of  water,  at  a  temperature  of  50°,  into  the 
stomach  of  a  patient  at  St.  Martin's,  sufficed  to  reduce 
the  temperature  of  the  stomach  30°,  and  was  not  restored 
to  its  normal  condition  for  more  than  half  an  hour.  It 
will  be  observed  that  the  cooling  of  the  stomach  lessens 
its  activity,  and  that  at  a  time  when  it  most  needs  heat ; 
frequently  repeated,  it  cannot  be  otherwise  than  fraught 
with  inestimable  danger. 

If  the  food  taken  into  the  stomach  be  not  digested,  it 
ferments  and  rots,  and  is  in  this  state  of  decay  carried 
into  the  blood  to  supply  the  waste  going  on  in  the  body. 
As  well  might  one  undertake  to  make  a  substantial 


CONDITIONS   OF   THE   MIND.  131 

building  out  of  rotten  material  as  to  make  healthy  tissue 
out  of  such  nutriment.  The  normal  blood  corpuscle  in  a 
healthy  condition  is  spherical,  and  flows  smoothly  through 
the  ramifications  of  minute  vessels.  By  this  process  the 
most  delicate  tissues  are  supplied  with  its  life-giving  prin- 
ciple. But  if  it  be'  damaged  in  its  manufacture,  through 
any  defect  in  the  process  of  digestion,  its  globular  form 
is  changed  into  variable-shaped ;  it  does  not  flow  so 
smoothly,  becomes  clogged  in  the  minute  vessels,  and 
thus  failing  to  make  its  circuit,  likewise  fails  to  carry 
the  much-needed  supply  to  that  part  in  the  body. 

Conditions  of  the    Mind. 

It  was  said  that  the  condition  of  the  mind  has  an 
influence  on  the  digestive  process.  The  old  adage, 
"  Laugh  and  grow  fat,"  is  more  truthful  than  poetical. 
Nothing  conduces  more  to  perfect  digestion  and  complete 
assimilation  of  food  than  a  happy  and  cheerful  disposition. 
The  man  who  is  always  on  good  terms  with  himself  and 
his  business,  and  has  no  quarrels  with  his  neighbors,  will 
almost  certainly  steer  his  digestive  organs  safely  past  all 
the  shoals  and  rocks  that  are  covered  up  in  the  sea  of 
life. 

But,  in  the  busy  struggle  for  existence  at  the  present 
day,  when  the  battle  of  life  is  not  so  much  fought  by 
muscle  and  sinew  as  by  the  brain,  the  demands  upon  the 
nervous  system  are  more  excessive.  "  The  spirit  indeed  is 
willing  but  the  flesh  is  weak."  Certainly  the  spirit  is  so 
willing,  that  even  the  strong  must  give  way.  No  matter 


132  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD.       . 

what  power  of  endurance  the  body  may  possess,  its 
driving  and  restless  tenant  will  exhaust  them.  The  old 
adage  is  true:  "The  sword  will  wear  out  the  scab- 
bard." This  is  especially  true  of  persons  with  large,  active 
brain,  and  light,  delicate  body.  Their  restless  and  driving 
disposition  will  be  followed  sooner  or  later  with  a  break- 
down. The  assimilative  organs  cannot  supply  the  means 
of  nutrition  to  the  nervous  system  in  sufficient  quantity. 
The  reserve  forces  of  the  system  become  exhausted,  and 
the  brain-power  fails.  The  work  that  was  accomplished 
with  alacrity  and  ease,  becomes  a  wearisome  and  grievous 
task,  and  soon  the  attempt  to  discharge  the  duty  is  an 
utter  failure. 

Such  cases  fall  under  the  observation  of  the  busy 
practitioner  almost  daily,  and  are  growing  fearfully  preva- 
lent. Such  patients  can  only  be  restored  by  long  rest  and 
a  liberal  supply  of  good  brain-food. 

In  commercial  parlance  one  would  say:  "That  indi- 
vidual has  evidently  drawn  a  bill  upon  himself —  Borrowed 
so  much  of  his  intellectual  capital  ;  the  bill  has  matured 
and  must  be  paid.  This  is  followed  by  a  long,  hard 
process  of  paying  back  into  the  body-bank,  till  the 
working  capital  is  once  more  sufficient  for  competent 
action.  There  has  been  a  body-expenditure  in  excess  of 
a  body-income,  and  the  reserve  body-capital  has  been 
heavily  drawn  upon,  until  it  is  no  longer  able  to  meet  the 
draft.  The  only  remedy  in  such  dilemma  is  to  cut  down  the 
expenditures  to  the  minimum  amount  and  increase  the 
income  to  its  maximum,  until  a  new  balance  of  capital 
shall  be  obtained." 


CONDITIONS   OF   THE   MIND.  133 

This  is  the  method  adopted  in  the  business  world.  If 
a  man  exceed  his  income  and  get  in  debt,  he  must  become 
more  economical,  live  on  less  until  he  gets  out  of  debt, 
and  then  he  prepares  to  live  better.  When  the  pabulum  of 
the  brain  is  exhausted,  a  long  process  of  recuperation  is 
necessitated.  "  How  is  this  best  accomplished?  "  is  the 
question  that  presents  itself  to  every  intelligent  physician, 
and  meets  the  ready  answer,  "  in  rest  and  nerve  tonics  — 
medication  and  alimentation."  The  kind  of  food  best 
adapted  to  such  patients  has  been  demonstrated,  not  only 
by  chemistry  but  experience,  to  be  fat  and  fish.  Fish 
abounds  in  phosphorus,  and  a  phosphorized  fat  must  be 
supplied  to  the  nervous  system.  It  is  no  difficult  task  to 
furnish  these  materials,  but  to  build  them  into  the  animal 
economy  by  the  process  of  assimilation  often  requires 
time.  Much  depends  upon  its  recuperative  powers.  If 
they  be  feeble,  much  time  will  be  necessary  for  the 
accumulation  of  a  sufficient  store  for  working  purposes. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  they  be  fairly  vigorous,  a  compara- 
tively rapid  progress  is  possible. 

Watch  carefully  the  ability  to  digest  food  ;  do  not  eat 
too  much  at  a  time,  but  more  frequently.  Let  fish  form  a 
prominent  part  of  the  diet.  Milk  puddings  answer  well. 
Cream  with  lime-water  is  excellent.  Cod-liver  oil  and  oil 
emulsions  suit  some  quite  well.  This  is  the  line  of  treat- 
ment that  experience  has  demonstrated  as  most  suitable. 
The  old  theory  of  meeting  this  wasted  and  exhausted 
condition  of  the  nervous  system  by  liberal  supplies  of  lean 
meat  has  proved  abortive. 


134  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Much  of  the  foregoing  remarks  on  nervous  exhaustion 
and  nervous  supply  will  be  found  applicable  to  men  as 
well  as  women. 

Food  of  School-girls. 

A  few  remarks  on  the  regimen  of  school-girls  before 
this  subject  of  food  is  past.  It  is  the  idea  of  many  girls, 
at  the  present  day,  that  elegance  involves  fragility,  and 
that  to  be  robust  and  rosy-cheeked  is  to  call  forth  the 
derision  of  their  school-mates,  with  the  crude  satire  of 
"  fat  enough  for  butchering. "  To  a  false  idea  of  appear- 
ance, many  sacrifice  their  health.  In  order  to  acquire 
pallor  and  get  rid  of  the  hue  of  health,  some  girls  take  an 
excess  of  vinegar,  and  attain  their  end  by  destroying  their 
digestion.  Others  eat  slate-pencils,  chalk,  etc.,  imparing 
their  digestive  powers  from  congestion  and  inactivity  of 
the  bowels,  which  is  aggravated  by  lack  of  out-door 
exercise,  and  the  compression  of  the  viscera  in  order  to 
secure  a  grace  of  figure.  Add  to  this  the  insufficiency  of 
nutritious  diet,  and  you  have  laid  the  foundation  for 
delicate  maidens  and  worthless  women. 

The  mistaken  idea  of  not  providing  a  sufficiency  of 
nourishing  diet  for  the  young  is  much  more  prevalent 
than  it  ought  to  be,  particularly  in  female  boarding- 
schools,  where  the  diet  is  often  insufficient  for  daily 
sustenance  and  growth,  and  where,  consequently,  the 
characteristic  aspect  of  impaired  health,  if  not  of  actual 
disease,  is  marked  in  most  of  the  pupils.  So  defective, 
indeed,  is  the  common-school  management  in  this  and 


GENERAL   CAUSES    OF   DISEASE.  135 

other  respects,  that  we  have  the  best  authority  for  consid- 
ering it  a  rare  exception  for  a  girl  to  return  home  in  full 
health  after  spending  a  few  years  in  a  boarding-school. 
Much  of  this  may  be  the  result  of  confinement,  want  of 
cheerful  exercise,  ill-ventilated  rooms,  and  other  depress- 
ing influences,  but  to  all  these  you  may  add  insufficient 
dietary  acting  with  increased  force  on  the  impaired  diges- 
tion, which  always  follows  where  the  laws  of  health  have 
been  outraged. 

General  Causes  of  Disease. 

A  condition  of  health  is  that  in  which  the  physical 
economy  is  in  such  harmonious  activity  that  each  organ 
performs  perfectly  its  peculiar  functions.  Health  is  the 
normal  state.  Evidence  of  this  appears  in  the  efforts 
which  Nature  makes  in  disease,  local  or  general,  to  return 
to  the  healthful  state.  If,  for  example,  the  flesh  be  lacer- 
ated, there  will  soon  be  increased  heat  in  the  injured  part. 
This  is  caused  by  increased  supply  of  blood-  to  that  part, 
blood  being  the  material  out  of  which  Nature  builds  or 
reconstructs  the  physical  economy.  This  increase  of  blood 
or  congestion  of  the  parts  is  followed  by  inflammation. 
The  lacerated  parts,  through  which  circulation  is  inter- 
rupted, die  for  lack  of  nourishment,  and  slough  away  in 
the  form  of  pus.  Underneath  this  slough  will  be  seen 
little  nodules  which  are  called  granulations,  filling  up  the 
interstices  unceasingly,  continuing  this  operation  until  all 
the  parts  are  fully  reestablished,  when  the  whole  work 
stops,  without  any  disposition  to  build  a  single  atom  more 


136  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

than    was    absolutely    necessary    to     supply    the     part 
destroyed. 

Health,  then,  being  the  normal,  or  natural  condition, 
it  follows  that  disease  must  be  the  abnormal  or  unnatural 
state.  Health  is  secured  and  maintained  by  the  rigid 
adherence  to  the  laws  established  in  Nature  for  that  end. 
Manifestly,  disease  must  be  incurred  through  the  viola- 
tion of  some  law  of  natural  hygiene.  Disease  is  the 
penalty  attached  to  Nature's  laws  of  health.  No  law, 
natural  or  civil,  can  be  effective  without  penalty  attaching 
to  its  infraction.  Providence  has  put  into  our  hands  the 
means  of  health.  It  is  a  precious  boon. 

This  involves  a  great  responsibility.  Health  is  mani- 
festly among  those  talents  that  the  Good  Man  left  us  in 
charge  of  on  taking  his  journey,  and  he  will  surely  call  us 
to  account  on  his  return. 

The  study  of  the  physical  law  of  being  is  one  of  the 
first  duties.  It  will  be  attended  with  the  greatest  bless- 
ing. It  is  a  solemn  truth,  and  one  that  should  be  forcibly 
impressed  upon  both  young  and  old  until  they  become 
thoroughly  familiar  with  it,  that  for  the  most  part  we  bring 
upon  ourselves  the  diseases  we  suffer.  If  they  be  not  the 
effect  of  imprudence  they  are  traceable  to  the  neglect  or 
ignorance  of  the  guardians  of  our  youth,  or  they  are 
entailed  as  a  consequence  of  the  violation  of  some  physi- 
cal law  by  our  parents.  Whatever  may  be  the  source  of 
disease  it  is  manifestly  a  penalty  for  the  violation  of 
Nature's  laws. 

Take,  for  example,  a  young  girl,  bred  in  high  life,  shut 


GENERAL    CAUSES    OF   DISEASE.  137 

up  iii  the  nursery  in  the  city  where  she  cannot  be  well 
exposed  to  the  pure  stimulus  of  fresh  air  during  her  child- 
hood. She  spends  her  youth  in  a  fashionable  boarding- 
school,  and  is  never  accustomed  to  either  air  or  exercise, 
which  the  law  of  Nature  makes  essential  to  health.  The 
period  of  puberty  approaches,  the  hygiene  of  her  sur- 
roundings is  unfavorable,  the  necessary  nourishment 
and  stimulus  for  the  establishment  of  instruction  is 
wanting. 

This  adds  additional  fuel  to  the  fire  that  is  consuming 
her  constitution.  She  enters  the  social  concourse  of  the 
young  and  gay  at  some  fashionable  gathering.  Her  shoes 
are  thin,  her  dress  is  light,  her  neck  and  arms  are  bare. 
She  indulges  in  the  amusements  of  the  evening  where  the 
room  is  warm  and  close.  No  sooner  is  she  at  liberty  to 
retire,  feeling  faint  and  feeble,  than  she  hurries  into  a  cur- 
rent of  cool  air  and  is  soon  chilled.  Her  delicate  system 
has  no  adequate  power  of  resistance  ;  perspiration  is  sud- 
denly suspended,  a  cold,  cough,  fever  and  death  follow  in 
the  wake.  Her  schoolmates  and  acquaintances  lament- 
ingly  exclaim  :  "  What  a  strange  Providence,  that  a  girl 
so  young  should  be  thus  cut  down  !  "  Providence  has  no 
action  in  the  matter.  She  violated  every  known  law  of 
health  ;  each  violation  is  followed  by  the  execution  of  the 
fixed  penalty. 

Call  in  prominent  view  if  you  please  the  daily  life  of 
some  of  the  daughters  of  our  men  of  wealth,  and  gaze 
for  a  moment  upon  it  in  detail  and  see  what  it  is.  From 
morning  till  night,  day  after  day,  there  is  the  same  round 


138  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

of  nothingness,  the  same  comparative  absence  of  physical 
exercise  and  mental  recreation,  the  same  listless,  sluggish, 
stagnating  existence.  With  servants  to  render  all  manual 
labor,  and  frequently  household  cares  unnecessary,  with 
no  particular  object  in  life  to  awaken  interest,  they  pass 
day  after  day  without  any  physical  exercise  more  invigor- 
ating than  a  stupid  walk  up  and  down  the  street,  and  with 
no  mental  employment  more  inspiring  than  the  reading  of 
a  few  indifferent  novels,  the  making  of  idle  morning  calls, 
or  the  spending  of  an  evening  at  a  ball  where  late  hours, 
thin  dresses,  excessive  dancing  and  improper  food  and 
drink  do  much  more  injury  than  most  people  know. 
Now,  did  God  ever  intend  the  girls,  even  of  the  rich,  to 
live  thus  ?  Is  not  wealth,  when  it  leads  to  such  habits,  a 
curse  rather  than  a  blessing  ?  There  is  no  truth  better 
established,  both  by  theory  and  observation,  than  the  fact 
that  a  certain  amount  of  both  physical  and  mental  labor  is 
necessary  to  the  enjoyment  of  continual  health  by  either 
sex. 

Upon  the  other  hand,  the  girls  who  fill  a  moderate 
station,  or,  in  other  words,  are  compelled  by  necessity  to 
work  without  having  to  overtax  themselves,  almost 
invariably  enjoy  good  health.  When  they  do  not,  their 
maladies  may  generally  be  traced  to  some  constitutional 
infirmity  transmitted  from  their  parents,  as  consumption, 
debility,  scrofula,  or  other  hereditary  taint.  Farmers' 
daughters  who  are  accustomed  to  a  certain  amount  of 
invigorating  exercise,  which  girls  reared  in  town  consider 
ungenteel,  are  usually  healthy  and  able  to  accomplish  a 
larsre  amount  of  work. 


GENERAL   CAUSES    OF   DISEASE.  139 

If  we  were  able  to  so  thoroughly  impress  this  truth  on 
the  minds  of  the  youth  that  they  would  be  influenced  by 
it,  we  might  do  much  in  revolutionizing  society  and 
preventing  disease. 

Beauty  cannot  be  attained  independently  of  health, 
and  health  cannot  be  enjoyed  without  exercise  or  labor, 
either  mental  or  physical. 

EPPOPS  in    Dpess  as  Causes  of  Disease. 

The  follies  of  fashion,  especially  as  practiced  in  the 
higher  walks  of  life,  are  exceedingly  deleterious  to  health 
in  childhood.  The  custom  of  heavily  and  warmly  cover- 
ing the  body  while  the  legs  are  almost  entirely  exposed 
to  the  temperature  of  the  atmosphere,  be  it  high  or  low, 
is  fraught  with  serious  consequences  to  the  health  of 
fashionably-clothed  children.  The  child  thus  dressed 
goes  and  sits  on  the  ground,  the  temperature  of  which  is 
low  and  damp,  and  is  robbed  of  some  of  the  heat  of  the 
legs  and  lower  part  of  the  body.  So  the  child  goes,  thus 
dressed,  from  year  to  year,  without  much  difference  in 
her  apparel,  the  dress  of  the  lower  half  of  her  body  being 
much  less  comfortable  than  the  dress  of  the  upper  half. 
The  putting  on  of  an  extra  skirt  does  not  materially  help 
this  difference.  The  skirts  are  so  short  that  they  cannot 
be  considered  sufficient  to  keep  a  child  warm  any  better 
than  an  umbrella  above  its  head.  The  cold  air  must 
necessarily  get  under  the  skirt,  and  the  warmer  the  body 
the  quicker  the  air  will  rush  up  —  on  the  principle  of  a 
flue.  In  this  way  the  temperature  of  the  body  of  the 


140  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

girl  from  her  waist  down  is,  from  year  to  year,  kept 
several  degrees  lower  than  that  of  her  body  from  her  waist 
upward. 

This  is  attended  with  most  serious  consequences. 
Cold  contracts  the  skin,  veins  and  arteries,  and  forces  the 
blood  from  the  surfaces.  Put  your  hand  in  ice-water  for 
a  few  minutes,  and  you  will  see  it  shrunken  and  color- 
less, for  the  blood  has  been  driven  out  of  it.  This  pro- 
cess is  going  on  all  the  time  during  which  the  child  is  less 
warm  in  one  part  of  the  body  than  in  another.  In  the 
coldest  part  the  circulation  becomes  slower  as  the  blood 
is  driven  away,  thus  destroying  the  equilibrium  of  the 
circulation.  But  where  driven  ?  To  the  other  parts  of 
the  body,  where  it  is  not  needed,  producing  in  such  parts 
an  excess,  causing  passive  congestion. 

What  is  the  first  ill  effect  produced  ?  Constipation. 
The  bowels,  like  the  stomach,  have  their  functions  to 
perform  in  the  process  of  digestion  ;  they  require  a 
quantity  of  animal  heat  and  unobstructed  circulation  of 
the  blood.  But  exposure  of  the  surface  of  the  abdomen 
causes  great  evaporation  of  needed  heat.  The  cold 
drives  the  blood  to  the  interior,  causing  a  clogging-up 
of  the  internal  circulation.  The  digestion,  robbed  of  the 
heat  needed,  becomes  gradually  slower  and  delayed,  and 
as  a  result  we  have  constipation.  If  this  be  not  true, 
why  is  it  that  four-fifths  of  all  the  women  are  constipated? 
Because  their  dress  is  calculated  to  keep  an  unequal 
temperature  in  the  body,  impeding  the  circulation. 
Witness  the  children  of  the  poorer  class.  They  may  be 


AMUSEMENTS.  14 1 

exposed  as  much,  nay,  more  than  those  of  the  wealthier 
class,  but  their  exposure  is  not  partial.  If  they  be  thinly 
dressed,  they  are  so  from  head  to  foot.  If  they  have  no 
drawers,  they  have  no  flannel  shirts.  If  they  have  no 
shoes,  they  have  no  covering  for  the  head.  Hence,  there 
is  no  inequality  in  their  dress,  making  one  part  of  the 
body  warm  at  the  expense  of  the  whole  system. 

Amusements. 

Amusements  play  no  insignificant  part  in  the  develop- 
ment and  training  of  youth,  both  physically  and  mentally. 
Much  of  the  time  in  early  youth  cannot  be  more  usefully 
employed  than  in  those  kinds  of  amusements  which  will 
bring  into  play  the  muscles  of  the  body,  and  at  the  same 
time  engage  the  mind  with  pleasing  diversion.  These 
will  be  found,  if  prudently  practiced,  to  contribute  much 
in  laying  the  foundation  of  a  healthy  body,  upon  which 
alone  rests  the  whole  superstructure  of  a  happy  and  useful 
life. 

To  deprive  the  young  of  the  innocent  pleasures  of 
childhood  is  by  no  means  the  most  trivial  mistake  that 
parents  can  make.  Nevertheless  we  not  infrequently 
meet  with  parents  who  think  it  their  duty  to  arrest  the 
naturalness,  lightness  and  gaiety  of  heart  in  their  children, 
lest  they  should  become  too  fond  of  pleasure.  Great 
harm  is  often  done,  in  this  way,  to  both  mind  and  body, 
and  the  very  fault  is  created  which  it  is  desired  to  avoid. 
The  more  reflecting  parent,  however,  sees  in  the  games 
and  plays  of  his  children  not  only  the  necessary  amuse- 


142  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

ment  and  recreation  to  develop  the  physical  nature,  but 
a  benefit  in  the  mental  and  moral  development  of  their 
being. 

There  are  numberless  devices  for  the  amusement  of 
children  that  even  at  very  early  age  develop  important 
elements  in  the  human  mind.  There  aje  blocks  or  cubes 
made  of  wood,  upon  the  faces  of  which  are  printed  letters, 
figures  and  drafts  of  architecture,  with  which  a  child, 
though  very  young,  will  soon  learn  to  amuse  himself  in 
constructing  words,  making  larger  cubes  out  of  the  small 
ones,  and  placing  them  together  in  such  order  as  to  repro- 
duce the  piece  of  architecture  that  was  cut  to  pieces  by 
dividing  the  blocks.  Another  very  entertaining  and 
profitable  device  is  a  large  sheet  of  paper  board,  on  which 
have  been  printed  a  number  of  animals  with  which  a 
child  is  familiar  ;  then  the  board  has  been  divided  into  a 
number  of  pieces,  no  two  of  which  have  the  same  shape. 
Have  the  child  put  the  pieces  together,  so  as  to  recon- 
struct the  animals.  Such  amusements  will  do  much  to 
develop  the  attention  and  memory  of  the  child,  besides 
affording  employment  and  relieving  the  nurse  of  much 
trouble. 

That  important  personage,  the  doll,  affords  pleasing 
amusement  for  children  that  are  quite  young.  A  love  of 
the  miniature  baby  is  always  worthy  of  cultivation  in  a 
child.  Perhaps  there  is  nothing  to  which  even  a  very 

young  child  clings  with  such  ardent  devotion  as  to  a  doll 

/ 
baby.     To  encourage  her  in  this  direction  may  instill  in 

her  youthful  mind   something  of  the   watchful,    maternal 


AMUSEMENTS.  143 

habits  which  will  secure  the  happiness  of  her  family  in. 
after-life.  In  dressing  the  doll,  and  in  cutting  and  fitting 
its  clothes,  the  child  will  often  acquire  a  skill  with  the 
needle  that  will  prove  invaluable  in  two  or  three  years. 

Then  there  are  the  more  active  amusements  adapted 
to  the  demands  of  Nature,  as  the  child  advances  in  years  — 
ball,  skating,  croquet,  blind-man,  the  hunt,  etc.  Such 
games  bring  the  muscles  into  proper  action  and  thus  cause 
them  to  fully  develop.  They  expand  and  strengthen  the 
muscles  of  the  chest,  causing  a  free  circulation  of  the 
blood,  making  it  bound  freely  through  the  vessels,  dif- 
fusing health  and  happiness  in  its  course.  If  games  were 
more  patronized  in  youth,  the  number  of  nervous,  useless 
persons  would  be  greatly  diminished.  Let  your  children 
have  plenty  of  plays  and  they  will  have  a  corresponding 
amount  of  health  and  vigor,  and  in  due  time  they  will  be 
ready  and  able  to  have  their  minds  properly  cultivated. 

Unfortunately,  there  is  a  growing  disposition,  even  in 
this  enlightened  age,  which  cannot  be  too  strongly 
rebuked,  to  commence  at  the  wrong  end  and  train  the 
mind  first,  leaving  the  cultivation  of  the  body  to  take 
care  of  itself.  The  result  is  we  reap  the  harvest  from  the 
seed  sown  —  a  broken-down  stalk  to  support  a  full  head. 
Properly-timed  exercise  will  do  much  to  expand  the  chest 
by  compelling  a  full  inflation  of  the  lungs  with  the  pure 
air  of  the  lawn  or  forest.  This  is  their  food,  and  if  food 
be  supplied  in  sufficient  quantities  it  must  be  distributed 
to  every  portion  of  the  lungs.  If  not,  suffering  and 
disease  will  be  the  result.  Croquet  is  a  pleasant  and 


144  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

healthful  amusement  for  girls.  It  develops  and  improves 
the  muscles  of  the  arms,  beautifies  the  complexion, 
strengthens  the  back,  throws  out  the  chest.  Croquet  is 
for  girls  what  cricket  is  for  boys —  a  glorious  exercise.  It 
has  brought  as  much  health  and  happiness  as  any  other 
game  ever  invented.  It  is  always  a  cheerful  game,  and  a 
"merry  heart  makes  a  fair  lassie."  Skating,  when  not 
indulged  to  extremes,  is  a  most  excellent  exercise.  It 
improves  the  figure,  and  makes  a  girl  balance  and  carry 
herself  upright  and  well,  is  quite  becoming,  and  is  to  be 
commended. 

Moral  Training. 

No  education  is  complete  which  does  not  include  a  due 
regard  for  those  moral  faculties,  known  under  the  names 
of  Inclination,  Duty,  Conscience,  etc. — in  short,  what  is 
known  as  the  moral  character.  Health  and  happiness 
here,  and  bliss  hereafter,  are  dependent  on  the  best  of 
these  faculties.  Of  what  avail  is  a  robust  physique  or  a 
brilliant  intellect  if  there  be  no  ballast  of  moral  rectitude  ? 
Many  a  parent  has  lived  to  ardently  wish  that  his  son  or 
daughter  had  died  in  youthful  innocence  ;  and  many  a 
heart  has  been  bowed  to  the  grave  over  grief  and  anguish 
for  a  wayward  child.  Such  parents  realize,  perhaps,  when 
it  is  too  late,  that  they  are  responsible  for  the  sad  fate  of 
their  child.  Once  he  was  theirs  to  develop  and  mold. 
They  neglected  the  soul  culture.  They  built  a  noble  bark 
and  started  it  out  under  fair  prospects.  But,  alas  !  there 
was  no  rudder.  It  became  a  sport  for  winds  and  tides. 


MORAL   TRAINING.  145 

The  storms  of  passion  and  the  seductions  of  temptation 
soon  drove  it  from  the  path  of  rectitude.  It  was  cast 
upon  a  barren  shore,  a  battered  wreck,  or  it  was  swal- 
lowed up  in  the  fathomless  vortex  of  sin  and  shame. 

What  has  been  may  be  again.  Nay,  it  must  be,  if  the 
education  of  the  intellectual  emotions  be  neglected  or 
improperly  conducted.  Such  a  nature  inheres  in  the  con- 
stitution of  every  sane  child.  It  has  susceptibilities, 
capacities  and  fertility.  Like  a  garden  of  rich  deposit  — 
if  nothing  useful  be  planted  and  cultivated,  noxious  and 
hurtful  weeds  will  spring  up  spontaneously.  The  moral 
nature  will  not  remain  undeveloped  through  neglect  of 
education.  It  will  develop  spontaneously,  but  in  unequal 
directions,  and  with  dangerous  bias. 

At  birth  the  brain,  the  organ  of  the  mind,  is  imperfect. 
It  is  unfitted  for  any  active  manifestations.  The  only 
indications  of  consciousness  observable  are  a  sensitiveness 
to  pain  and  a  craving  for  food.  The  latter,  and  the 
former  too,  for  the  matter  of  that,  in  dignity  hardly  rise 
above  mere  animal  instincts  or  appetites.  No  real  traces 
of  the  intelligent,  sentient  mind,  with  its  stupendous 
faculties,  and  of  the  soul  with  its  fathomless  pro- 
fundities, are  discernable.  The  brain  is  extremely  deli- 
cate and  is  easily  injured.  Injuries  sustained  at  this 
immature  stage  may,  like  those  inflicted  on  the  eye  or  ear, 
be  permanent  and  irremediable. 

After  a  time,  however,  there  are  signs  of  awakening 
intellect.  Looks,  smiles,  frowns,  will  evidence  the  dawn- 
ing of  consciousness  long  before  the  child  can  give  any 


146  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

other  token.  It  cannot  know,  and,  of  course,  cannot 
evince  any  regard  for  the  causes  which  excite  its  natural 
activity.  Still,  the  activity  is  there.  Its  signs  can  be 
read  in  the  countenance.  "  These,"  says  a  French  writer, 
*  are  the  evidences  of  dawning  affections.  Even  at  the 
early  age  of  six  weeks,  when  the  infant  is  still  a  stranger 
to  the  world  and  perceives  external  ©bjects  so  indistinctly 
as  to  make  no  effort  either  to  obtain  or  avoid  them,  he  is, 
nevertheless,  susceptible  to  the  influences  of  human  pas- 
sion. Although  no  material  object  possesses  any  attraction 
for  him,  sympathy  or  the  action  of  a  feeling  in  his  mind, 
corresponding  to  the  expression  of  the  same  feeling  in  the 
mind  of  another,  is  already  at  work.  A  smile,  a  caress- 
ing accent,  raises  a  smile  on  his  lips.  Pleasing  emotions 
already  animate  this  little  being,  and  we,  recognizing  their 
expression,  are  delighted  in  turn.  Who,  then,  has  told 
this  infant  that  a  certain  expression  of  the  features 
indicates  tenderness  for  him  ?  How  could  he,  to  whom 
his  own  physiognomy  is  unknown,  imitate  that  of  another 
unless  a  corresponding  feeling  in  his  own  mind  impressed 
the  same  characters  on  his  feelings  ?  That  person  near 
his  cradle  is  perhaps  not  his  nurse  ;  perhaps  she  has  only 
disturbed  him  or  subjected  him  to  some  unpleasant  opera- 
tion. No  matter  ;  she  has  smiled  affectionately  on  him  ; 
he  feels  that  he  is  loved  and  he  loves  in  return." 

Here,  then,  is  the  key  to  the  right  training  of  the 
infant  mind.  The  internal  emotions  are  like  the  external 
senses.  Being  distinct  from  each  other  and  independent 
in  their  actions,  let  the  appropriate  object  of  any  of  them. 


MORAL  TRAINING:  147 

the  organ  of  which  is  already  sufficiently  developed,  be 
presented  to  it,  and  it  will  start  into  activity,  as  the  eye 
does  when  the  rays  of  light  come  in  contact  with  the 
retina.  Look,  for  example,  at  an  infant  six  months  old, 
and  observe  the  extent  to  which  it  responds  to  every 
variety  of  stimulus  addressed  to  its  feelings.  If  we  wish 
to  soothe  it  in  a  moment  of  fretful  disappointment,  do  we 
not  succeed  by  gently  fondling  and  singing  to  it  in  a  soft, 
affectionate  voice  ?  If  our  aim  be  to  arouse  it  to  activity, 
are  not  our  movements  and  tones  at  once  changed  to  the 
lively  and  spirited  ?  When  a  sharp  dialogue  occurs 
betxveen  a  nurse  and  any  other  person  in  the  presence  of 
the  infant,  is  it  not  common  for  the  child  to  become 
uneasy  and  cry,  as  if  the  angry  expressions  were  addressed 
to  itself? 

The  facts  of  common  observation  are  explained  when 
it  is  remembered  that  the  emotions  are  reached  only 
through  the  senses.  An  emotion  of  pleasure  or  of  pain  is 
created  by  the  perception  through  some  sense  —  as  of 
sight,  or  touch,  or  taste,  or  smell,  or  hearing  —  of  an 
external  object  possessing  pleasurable  or  painful  qualities. 
For  example,  the  hand  comes  in  contact  with  the  heated 
iron.  The  sense  of  touch  conveys  the  sensation  to  the 
emotional  nature,  and  the  feeling  of  pair,  is  produced. 

In  the  infant,  and  adult  as  well,  the  existence  of  the 
feeling  is  manifested  by  certain  external  signs,  as  cries  and 
tears.  When  the  eye  rests  upon  objects  which  are  beauti- 
ful, the  emotion  of  beauty  is  started  in  the  soul.  It  may 
be  beauty  of  form  or  expression,  or  any  modification 


148  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

perceptible  by  sight ;  it  may  be  beauty  of  sound  as 
expressed  in  harmony,  where  the  ear  becomes  the  organ 
which  conveys  the  impression.  In  any  case,  the  emotion 
created  is  a  pleasing  one. 

With  these  few  primary  truths  of  psychology  premised 
and  with  the  fact  assumed,  as  already  stated,  that  the 
emotional  nature  of  the  infant,  like  all  its  other  qualities, 
is  susceptible  of  development  ;  and  with  the  additional 
truth  granted,  that  the  rules  for  the  development  and 
training  of  the  physical  and  intellectual  faculties  are 
equally  applicable  to  the  internal  emotions  —  with  these 
assumptions,  it  is  not  difficult  to  determine  what  are  the 
possibilities  in  the  infant's  soul  ;  and  what  are  the  duties 
of  parents  ;  and,  likewise,  how  those  duties  are  to  be 
performed. 

Any  faculty  is  developed  in  proportion  to  the  frequency 
with  which  it  is  exercised.  This  is  true,  whether  it  be 
muscle  or  brain  that  is  considered.  It  is  true  of  the 
passions.  If  the  infant  be  allowed  to  exercise  continually 
the  base  emotions  —  as  of  hate,  anger,  etc.,  —  the  whole 
nature  will  develop  in  the  wrong  direction.  The  antipodal 
emotions  of  love,  tenderness,  sympathy,  etc.,  will  be 
dwarfed  in  the  process.  But,  if  the  better  and  higher 
emotions  be  constantly  exercised,  they  will  grow  more 
largely,  and  their  opposites  be  more  completely 
eradicated. 

The  simple  duty  of  parents,  then,  is  to  cultivate  the 
better  natures  of  their  children.  Outbursts  of  anger 
should  be  prevented  as  far  as  possible.  Conduct  should 


WHEN   TO   COMMENCE   MORAL   TRAINING.  149 

not  be  indulged  which  is  calculated  to  unpleasantly  affect 
the  mind  of  the  child.  Fretfulness  and  peevishness  can 
be  cured  if  the  parents  never  permit  the  child  to  see  an 
exhibition  of  these  in  themselves.  The  child  learns  from 
the  parent  more  largely  than  from  any  other  person.  It 
learns  unconsciously.  It  takes  on  the  habits  of  the 
parent.  It  observes  the  emotional  nature  of  the  parent  to 
a  great  extent.  If  the  parent  be  always  amiable  to  the 
child  and  in  his  presence,  the  child  largely  develops  amia- 
bility. So  of  any  other  emotion. 

When  to  Commence  Moral  Training. 

The  time  to  commence  the  moral  education  is  when 
the  first  indication  of  an  awakening  moral  nature  is 
perceived.  The  earliest  culture  will  be  by  object  lessons 
alone.  The  parent  can  express  approbation  and  disap- 
probation by  a  glance  of  the  eye — by  the  expression  of 
the  countenance.  The  child  soon  learns  to  read  its 
mother's  face  as  it  afterward  reads  a  printed  page.  She 
can  make  it  smile  by  smiling  herself.  She  can  make  it 
morose  and  hateful  by  exhibiting  such  emotions  in  herself 
in  countenance  and  word. 

The  mind  is  very  feeble  at  this  time,  as  the  brain  is 
weak.  Impressions  are  easily  made.  It  requires  but  a 
very  trifling  pressure  to  produce  a  deep  dent.  The  mind 
is  like  unhardened  cement.  A  touch  leaves  a  mark.  The 
hardening  process  makes  the  eradication  of  the  mark 
difficult,  when  once  it  is  made  ;  impossible  in  a  short  time. 
Playing  upon  the  purer,  nobler,  higher  emotions  of  the 


150        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

soul  will  keep  these  in  most  vigorous  exercise,  and  conse- 
quently tend  to  their  more  full  and  rapid  development. 

Proper  Indulgence. 

It  does  not  follow  from  this  that  the  child  is  to  be 
humored  in  every  whim,  indulged  in  every  desire.  Here 
is  where  so  many  parents,  particularly  mothers,  make  a 
serious  error.  They  recognize  the  immaturity  of  the 
child's  mind.  They  assume  that  it  does  not  know  good 
from  evil,  right  from  wrong.  This  is  only  a  half-truth  at 
best  ;  such  propositions  are  more  dangerous  than  those 
that  are  wholly  wrong.  It  is  true  that  the  child  is 
governed  by  whims  and  caprices.  It  is  also  true  that  it 
always  will  be  so  governed  unless  it  be  taught  differently. 
It  is  also  true  that  the  indulgence  of  a  wrong  emotion 
tends  to  the  further  development,  the  education  and 
permanency  of  that  fault. 

No  mother  can  begin  too  soon  to  lead  out  the  moral 
nature  of  her  child.  This  is  a  dual  process.  Restraining 
and  eradicating  what  is  not  desired,  stimulating  and 
encouraging  what  is  desired.  It  is  easier  to  destroy  a 
venomous  insect  or  reptile  in  the  egg.  than  after  it  has 
begun  to  crawl.  It  is  easier  to  destroy  a  poisonous  plant 
in  the  germ  than  after  it  has  begun  to  root  and  branch. 
The  same  holds  true  in  the  immaterial  world.  It  is  mr.ch 
better  to  stifle  an  evil  propensity  or  passion  before  it  has 
obtained  a  firm  lodgement  in  the  mind  than  is  after- 
ward. 

Indulging  infants  in  their  desires  is  to  invite  further 
waywardness.  It  may  require  a  little  time,  a  little 


PROPER    INDULGENCE.  15! 

patience,  a  little  annoyance  at  the  time,  to  cross  the  infant 
desire.  It  is  easier,  quicker,  more  comfortable,  to  indulge 
and  be  done  with  it.  This,  however,  is  only  postponing 
the  day  of  correction,  and  intensifying  the  difficulties  of 
the  process  when  it  shall  be  undertaken.  It  is  always  best 
to  do  right  at  every  particular  time.  Never  purchase  a 
present  ease  at  the  cost  of  future  discomfort. 

The  writer  recalls  passing  a  night  with  a  friend  whose 
infant  had  been  ill  for  a  few  days.  The  indisposition  had 
necessitated  frequent  attentions  during  the  night,  and  the 
light  in  the  sleeping-room  had  been  kept  burning.  At 
this  time,  however,  the  child  was  restored  to  health  and 
the  light  was  extinguished.  During  the  night  the  child 
awoke,  and,  missing  the  light,  refused  to  be  comforted 
and  return  to  sleep.  It  would  have  been  much  easier  to 
have  arisen,  kindled  a  light,  and  thus  secured  peace  and 
rest.  Such,  however,  was  not  the  theory  of  that  house- 
hold. The  child  remained  wakeful,  fretted  and  cried  for 
perhaps  two  hours.  It  finally  fell  asleep  through  exhaus- 
tion. The  next  night  the  same  struggle  was  renewed,  but 
it  was  of  much  shorter  duration.  After  that  there  was  no 
further  trouble.  The  child  learned  that  it  could  not  secure 
what  it  wanted,  and  it  gave  up  crying  for  it.  It  cost  a 
good  part  of  two  nights'  rest  to  teach  this  lesson  ;  but  it 
was  taught.  The  principle  in  the  above  illustration  is 
susceptible  of  multifarious  applications.  It  is  the  only 
principle.  The  child  must  be  made  to  know  that  the 
mother's  will  is  to  dominate.  A  few  exhibitions  of  firm- 
ness and  tenacity  will  teach  this  important  lesson.  The 


152  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

child    will  acquire  the   habit    of  yielding   to  its  parents 
When  this  point  is  gained  the  process  of  moral  training  is 
comparatively  easy.      Until  it  shall  be  reached,  it  will  be 
lame,  impotent  work.      Here,  too,  is  the  key  to  successful 
government  and  training. 

Whatever  the  child  sees  the  mother  do  it  essays  to  do. 
It  repeats  the  words  which  the  mother  has  said  in  its 
presence,  and  endeavors  to  imitate  the  actions  which  it 
sees  in  others.  It  does  this,  apparently,  from  an  instinctive 
impulse.  Those  with  whom  the  child  is  most  intimate 
and  most  constantly  associated,  especially  its  parents,  its 
brothers  and  sisters,  are- folio  wed  to  the  greatest  extent. 
The  child  has  implicit  faith  in  its  parents.  Whatever  they 
say  is  true  ;  whatever  they  do  is  right.  During  the  earlier 
years  of  life  the  child  knows  no  higher  authority  than  its 
parents.  "  Father  does  this,"  or  "  Mother  says  that,"  is 
exclusive  warrant  to  the  child  of  the  righteousness  of  the 
doing  or  saying.  It  desires  no  higher  justification  for  its 
own  sayings  or  doings  than  the  fact  that  it  is  following  its 
parent's  lead. 

An  additional  truth  must  be  borne  in  mind  :  All 
human  beings  are  imitative  creatures.  Relatively,  this 
faculty  is  more  largely  developed  in  children  than  in  per- 
sons of  mature  years.  A  strong  impulse,  innate  and 
perhaps  instinctive,  urges  the  child  to  imitate  the  example 
of  others.  The  child  is  new  to  the  world,  and  everything 
.  in  the  world  around  it  is  new.  It  is  a  learner.  The 
desire  to  gain  information,  to  increase  in  knowledge,  to 
accumulate  a  stock  of  facts  which  have  been  revealed  by 


H  f3  H  J  j  G  3 

'fj  <^ 


PROPER    INDULGENCE.  153 

the  senses,  is  a  universal  faculty.  Hence  the  well-known 
propensity  of  children  of  five  and  six  years  of  age  to  ask 
questions.  Hence,  also,  the  vague  rambling  of  such 
questioning  ;  the  mind  knows  nothing  definitely  or  fully  ; 
it  has  an  intense  yearning  for  knowledge  ;  and  it  floats 
about  in  a  vast  sphere,  grasping  at  everything  it  sees 
about  it. 

Take  all  these  well-recognized  facts  together — namely, 
the  large  and  trusted  place  which  parents  fill  in  the  child's 
life,  the  instinct  for  imitation  and  the  innate  propensity 
for  seeking  knowledge — and  add  to  them  the  constant 
presence  or  contiguity  of  the  parents  to  the  child,  and  a! 
once  is  grasped  the  compass  of  parental  influence  ove/ 
the  child  by  word  and  example. 

Some  parents  make  the  grave  mistake  of  thinking 
that  the  child  will  discriminate  ;  that  it  will  recognize 
that  a  thing  may  be  right  for  its  father  to  do,  and  at  the 
same  time  be  wrong  for  it  (the  child)  to  do.  This  is  not 
the  fact.  Children  do  not  discriminate.  This  requires 
an  act  of  the  understanding  of  which  they  are  incapable. 
The  child  cannot  help  thinking  that  what  its  parents  do  is 
the  right  thing  to  do,  and  instinctively  endeavors  to 
imitate  them.  This  is  a  part  of  its  being,  an  integral 
part  of  its  nature. 

Children,  too,  possess  a  keen  discernment.  Intuitively 
they  perceive  truth  and  error.  It  is  impossible  long  to 
deceive  them.  They  seem  to  read  character  accurately 
and  profoundly.  Certain  domestic  animals,  as  the  dog, 
for  example,  possess  an  instinct  that  enables  them  to 


154  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

reaclx  remarkable  conclusions.  The  undeveloped  intelli- 
gence of  the  child  has  qualities  similar  in  operation  to 
this  animal  instinct.  The  child  always  believes  its 
parents  to  be  what  it  sees  them  to  be.  It  also  believes 
its  parents  to  be  infallibly  right.  Imitative  impulse  will 
incline  it  to  do  what  it  sees  the  parents  do.  It  also  will, 
unconsciously,  but  none  the  less  certainly,  take  on  the 
moral  caste  of  its  parents  and  nearest  exemplars. 

Parents  cannot  be  too  circumspect  before  their 
children.  Every  idle  word,  every  careless  act,  is  noted, 
and  then,  or  at  some  subsequent  time,  repeated.  Habits 
are  acquired,  manners  are  learned,  and  opinions  are 
formed,  almost  wholly  by  the  influence  of  the  example 
of  others.  If  such  example  be  worthy  of  imitation,  well 
and  good  ;  the  child  will  develop  in  right  directions  and 
acquire  those  habits  and  convictions  which  best  fit  it  for 
reaching  the  great  ends  of  its  being  in  the  world.  If,  on 
the  other  hand,  the  examples  before  it  are  vicious,  it  will 
as  surely  develop  into  a  course  of  life  and  be  character- 
ized by  beliefs  and  opinions  which  tend  downward. 
There  may  be  line  upon  line  and  precept  upon  precept  of 
truth  and  uprightness  ;  these  avail  little  in  moral  and 
ethical  training,  unless  they  be  attended  and  supple- 
mented by  examples  in  kind.  Actions  speak  louder 
than  words  ;  they  speak  more  effectively  ;  they  convince 
more  readily. 

Parents  are  first  in  the  child's  life,  nearest  to  it  in 
every  respect,  and,  consequently  influence  it  to  a  greater 
degree  in  the  earlier  years  of  its  life  than  all  other  persons 


IMMORAL   PRACTICES,  ETC.  155 

combined.  From  its  parents,  it  may  be  assumed,  the 
child  learns  nothing  but  what  is  for  its  good.  It  cannot, 
if  the  parents  are  as  careful  and  prudent  as  their  desires 
and  affections  should  lead  them  to  be.  Parents  have  an 
interest  in  their  children  and  a  care  for  them  that  cannot 
be  measured.  No  calculus  can  compute  the  length, 
breadth  and  "depth  of  parental  love.  It  surpasses  the 
heavens  in  height,  and  in  profundity  reaches  the  fathom- 
less depths.  The  very  life  of  the  parents  often  centers  in 
the  child.  It  is  the  "  all  in  all  "  of  earthly  desires.  While, 
therefore,  the  child  shall  remain  exclusively  under  parental 
care,  it  is  measurably  safe  from  evil  communications, 
which  corrupt  good  manners,  and  from  the  baneful  influ- 
ences of  evil  example. 

But  such  a  condition  is  necessarily  brief.  The  days 
come  and  go,  and  the  sphere  of  the  child  is  enlarged. 
The  means  of  acquiring  information  go  outside  the  two 
persons  who  have  given  it  being.  It  is  impossible  to  pre- 
vent this,  and  not  desirable,  even  if  it  were  possible.  It 
must  come  in  contact  with  persons  other  than  those  of  its 
own  home.  From  these  other  persons  it  will  learn  as 
readily,  and  absorb  knowledge  as  rapidly  as  at  home.  It 
has  nurses,  perhaps,  and  it  soon  will  find  playmates  of  its 
own  age. 

Immoral  Practices  Received  from  Playmates  and  Nurses. 

Regarding  the  nurses,  it  may  be  said  that,  as  a  rule, 
they  are  not  the  sort  of  moral  guides  which  children  ought 
to  have.  They  are  generally  of  the  lower  walks  of  life 


I5<5  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

and  uneducated.  As  a  consequence,  their  minds  are 
filled  with  fanciful  notions  and  superstitions.  It  will  be  a 
blessing  if  they  do  not  also  have  gross  immoralities  of 
speech  or  behavior.  The  playmates  are  necessarily  a 
mixed  throng.  Parents  cannot  choose  the  playmates  of 
their  children.  They  may  do  mach  in  the  line  of  restrict- 
ing these,  and  in  guiding  their  children  to  a  wise  selection 
of  mates,  but  they  cannot  entirely  control  the  selection. 
It  is  not  best  that  they  should.  Some  of  the  child's  play- 
fellows will  certainly  have  learned  words  and  lines  of  con- 
duct which  cannot  be  approved,  and  which  no  thoughtful 
parent  can  desire  his  child  to  imitate. 

What  shall  be  done  in  such  cases  ?  In  general,  it  may 
be  said  that  contact  with  coarse  and  immoral  persons  is 
not  an  unmixed  evil.  It  is  a  source  of  danger  to  the  child 
always,  and  a  menace  to  its  purity  of  life.  But  the  great 
Creator  designed  that  life  on  earth  should  be  a  conflict. 
Good  and  bad  influences  compass  every  life,  and,  sooner 
or  later,  must  come  in  contact  in  every  one.  "  It  must 
needs  be  that  offenses  come. "  It  is  by  trial  that  faith  is 
made  perfect.  It  is  by  meeting  and  overcoming  tempta- 
tions that  one  is  made  strong  to  overcome.  Ignorance  of 
evil  is  no  protection  against  it. 

Duty   of    Parents  in    Reference  to   Such    Influence. 

The  parents  and  guardians  of  children  should  be  care- 
ful that  no  temptation  to  evil  meets  the  child  beyond  what 
it  is  able  to  bear.  It  should  be  provided  with  the  best 
nurse  possible,  with  reference  to  influence  on  the  child's 


DUTY   OF   PARENTS    IN   REFERENCE   THERETO.       157 

morals.  A  less  efficient  nurse,  as  such,  is  preferable  to 
a  more  skillful  one  if  the  moral  character  of  the  latter  be 
depraved.  The  playmates  of  the  child  should  undergo  judi- 
cious observation  by  the  parents,  who  will  need  to  exercise 
great  prudence  in  this  matter.  A  direct  command  to  not 
play  with  a  certain  child  may  result  in  fhe  very  evil  it  was 
desired  to  avoid.  The  influence  of  these  playmates  upon 
the  child  from  day  to  day  should  be  noted.  This  is  not  a 
difficult  task.  The  child  will  certainly  betray  any  new 
experience  which  it  may  have,  because,  until  told  to  the 
contrary,  it  will  think  it  right  and  proper. 

Notwithstanding  all  these  provisions,  it  will  still  remain 
true  that  the  child  will  come  into  associations  with  vicious 
companions  and  from  them  learn  many  improprieties.  Pre- 
vention is  always  better  than  cure  ;  but  when  prevention 
shall  fail  cure  must  be  resorted  to.  The  parents  must 
take  measures  to  counteract  the  evil  influences  which  tend 
to  harm  their  children.  This  they  can  do.  The  child  has 
greater  confidence  in  its  parents  than  in  strangers.  It 
will  rely  upon  their  counsel  in  preference  to  that  of  other 
persons  outside  of  the  home.  If  an  improper  word 
learned  upon  the  playground  be  never  heard  in  the  home, 
and  when  repeated  by  the  child  in  the  home  circle,  shall 
be  condemned,  the  child  will  instinctively  recognize  that 
there  is  a  difference  between  right  and  wrong,  and  will 
readily  yield  to  the  stronger  influence  of  home.  The  evil 
habits  learned  outside  the  home  should  be  carefully  but 
promptly  corrected.  Ordinarily,  no  reason  will  be 
required  for  the  prohibition,  beyond  the  words  of  the 


158        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

parents.  The  child  will  accept  the  dictum  of  the  parent 
as  authoritative  in  the  case. 

But  the  greatest  counteractive  of  all  is  the  example 
which  parents  set  before  their  children.  The  child  cannot 
help  contrasting  what  he  sees  and  hears  at  home  with 
what  he  sees  and  hears  abroad.  In  the  tender  mind  will 
thus  grow  up  a  knowledge  of  good  and  evil.  The 
stronger  love  for  home  and  the  implicit  trust  in  the  good 
intention  of  its  parents,  will  induce  a  predilection  for  the 
good  and  the  pure.  This  knowledge  is  the  lesson  which 
all  must  learn.  It  is  a  condition  of  a  strong  and  pure  life 
on  earth.  Until  it  shall  have  been  learned,  and  learned  in 
the  stern  school  of  experience,  no  soul  is  safe.  The  child's 
is  a  pulpy  soul,  capable  of  being  molded  in  a  wrong 
direction  as  readily  as  in  a  right  one. 

Without  the  innate  impulse  of  imitation  or  mimicry, 
before  alluded  to,  the  child's  education  would  be  slow  ; 
could  not  begin  until  the  mind  had  gained  sufficient  vigor 
to  be  capable  of  utilizing  the  abstract  intellectual  modes  of 
gaining  knowledge.  With  it  the  infant  becomes  a  learner 
from  the  earliest  dawn  of  intelligence. 

But  the  child  does  not  derive  all  its  knowledge  in  this 
\\ay.  It  finds  teachers  everywhere.  The  new  and  plas- 
tic mind  receives  impressions  through  each  of  its  senses, 
daily  and  hourly,  and  each  impression  is  a  factor  in  deter- 
mining the  nature  and  extent  of  the  resultant.  It  is  but 
the  expression  of  a  truism  to  say  that  from  each  of  ;ts  nve 
senses  the  child  receives  continual  accretions  of  tacts 
which  fix  themselves  in  the  unfilled  mind.  Its  senses  are 


DUTY    OF   PARENTS   IN    REFERENCE   THERETO.       159 

keen  and  its  thirst  for  knowledge  is  great.  It  is  learning 
when  the  maturer  mind  is  not ;  its  intellect  is  active  and 
vigilant  when  the  mind  of  the  adult  sees  nothing  that 
makes  any  noticeable  impression. 

The  parents  and  guardians  of  children  cannot  over- 
estimate the  number  and  variety  of  means  by  which  the 
child-mind  is  increased  in  knowledge.  Everything  in  the 
great  world  about  is  of  interest  to  the  child.  It  takes  the 
hue  of  everything  around.  The  lessons  which  it  learns 
are  not  all  clearly  defined  to  it,  nor  do  they  come  in  any 
logical  order.  Until  taught  differently,  good  and  evil  are 
alike  to  it,  except  in  their  more  radical  forms.  It  learns 
as  quickly  from  vicious  as  from  virtuous  examples.  It 
segregates  the  abstractions  of  vice  as  readily  as  it  does 
the  scintillations  of  virtue,  and  herein  lies  the  danger  to 
the  education  of  the  child.  Herein  lies  the  imperative 
necessity  of  constant  vigilance  on  the  part  of  the  parent. 

'  It  is  as  natural  for  the  child  to  learn  as  it  is  for  the  tree 
to  grow  or  the  earth  to  produce  vegetation.  It  is  the  law 
of  intellectual  life  that  it  cannot  be  dormant.  The  mind 
can  no  more  remain  unoccupied  than  a  fertile  field  can  be 
barren  under  the  rays  of  the  sun  and  the  gentle  showers. 
In  either  case  there  is,  and  of  necessity  must  be,  a  prod- 
uct. It  may  be  useful  fruits,  and  it  may  be  noxious 
weeds.  It  may  be  healthful  knowledge,  or  it  may  be 
destructive  immoralities.  Nature,  whether  in  the  domain 
of  mind  or  matter,  abhors  a  vacuum.  The  mind  of  the 
child  may  be  said  to  be  empty  when  it  first  becomes  sen- 
sible to  the  external  impressions.  It  cannot  remain  so. 


160  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

It  will  fill  up  from  every  source.  Good  and  evil  abound 
in  the  world,  and  hedge  the  child  through  all  its  days. 
They  contend  for  the  mastery  of  a  soul.  The  good  man 
may  sow  the  seeds  of  useful  knowledge  never  so  assidu- 
ously, but  if  he  sleeps  the  wily  adversary  will  come  up 
and  scatter  the  tares  in  the  carefully-prepared  field  ;  there 
is  then  no  recourse  until  the  harvest.  His  opportunity 
will  be  lost  if  he  sleep  and  leave  the  field  unguarded. 

Parents  must  never  leave  the  lives  of  their  children 
unguarded.  They  must  watch  the  development  of  every 
impression,  and  remove  all  that  is  evil  in  essence  or  vicious 
in  tendency  before  it  becomes  rooted  in  the  mind.  Every 
good  impression  must  be  deepened  until  it  is  firmly  fastened 
in  the  mind.  The  eradication  of  an  evil  thought  is  not 
enough.  The  lesson  comes  down  from  the  pages  of  the 
Sacred  Word  that  the  exorcism  of  an  evil  spirit  is  to  leave 
the  soul  in  a  dangerous  condition.  The  soul  may  be 
purged  ;  but  if  it  remain  empty,  it  may  become  the  final 
abode  of  sevenfold  more  evil  spirits  than  those  which  were 
cast  out.  The  evil  seeds  must  be  pulled  up  and  good 
seed  sown  in  the  place.  The  bad  impressions  can 
only,  or,  at  least,  can  best  be  removed  by  the  counteracting 
force  of  stronger  impressions  for  good.  Negative  educa- 
tion seldom  avails  much  of  lasting  good.  This  is  espe- 
cially the  case  with  children.  Their  minds  are  so  tender, 
so  plastic,  that  it  is  better  to  stamp  truth  over  error,  and 
thus  obliterate  it,  than  to  attempt  to  eradicate  the  false 
and  then  introduce  the  true.  It  is,  after  all,  a  matter  of 
good  and  bad  impressions.  The  work  of  the  teacher  lies 
in  seeing  that  the  good  impressions  are  made  the  deeper. 


DRESS.  l6l 

Dress. 

The  subject  of  dress  is  of  so  much  importance   in  the 

i 
education  of  children  that  it  deserves  special  notice.     It 

is  a  factor  not  always  recognized  and  seldom  fully 
appreciated.  Some  parents  seem  to  think  that  it  makes 
little  difference  how  they  clothe  their  children  so  they 
are  comfortable.  Anything  will  do,  whether  it  be  old  or 
new,  of  fashionable  pattern  or  unfashionable,  neat-fitting 
or  ill-fitting.  They  argue  that  the  children  do  not  know 
the  difference  in  quality,  pattern  or  fit  —  therefore  the 
cheapest  is  the  most  economical. 

There  are  others  who  seem  to  have  a  morbid  dread 
that  their  children  will  become  vain,  and  hence  they 
purposely  and  studiously  dress  them  in  plain  and  homely 
attire.  Such  parents  are  honest  and  well-meaning.  They 
are  disgusted  with  the  pride  and  vanities  of  the  world,  and 
desire  above  all  things  that  their  children  shall  grow  up 
free  from  these  vices.  The  intention  is  commendable, 
but  the  means  used  to  attain  it  are  not  the  best.  There 
is  not  infrequently  as  much  pride  and  vanity  in  those  who 
dress  ill  as  those  who  dress  well. 

There  are  others  who  seem  to  regard  their  children  as 
they  do  their  other  possessions  —  that  is,  as  things  by 
which  the  owner's  taste  and  judgment  may  be  gauged  by 
the  neighbors.  They  dress  up  their  children  for  show, 
just  as  they  do  their  houses  or  lawns.  They  love  beauti- 
ful appointments  about  their  homes,  and  ill-dressed, 
tawdry  children  present  an  appearance  which  is  disagree- 


162  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

able  to  their  refined  and  sensitive  tastes.  Such  parents 
act,  then,  without  much,  if  any,  regard  for  the  children, 
but  largely,  if  not  wholly,  for  the  effect  objectively 
considered. 

All  of  these  conceptions  are  wrong.  Children  should 
be  clothed  with  their  own  good  in  view.  Their  dress 
operates  in  two  ways  (in  their  education)  —  upon  their 
bodies,  and  upon  their  minds.  The  one  is  no  less  impor- 
tant than  the  other.  The  whole  matter  of  dress  should  be 
viewed  from  this  dual  standpoint.  What  others  may 
think  of  the  appearance  of  their  children  should  be  a 
comparatively  insignificant  consideration.  What  effect 
the  child's  dress  may  have  on  the  parents'  taste  is  equally 
so.  The  child  is  to  be  dressed  for  its  own  sake,  not  for 
the  sake  of  others.  It  happens,  however,  that  when  it  is 
best  dressed  for  its  own  sake,  it  presents  the  happiest 
effect  on  others.  But  this  is  merely  incidental. 

First  of  all,  the  clothing  should  be  a  protection  to  the 
child's  body.  This  is  a  primary  object.  The  body 
should  be  kept  comfortable  —  warm  in  winter,  cool  in 
summer,  so  far  as  clothing  can  do  this.  It  should  be 
comfortable  in  another  sense.  It  should  feel  easy  and 
pleasant  to  the  child.  To  reach  this  end  it  will  not  do 
to  have  the  clothing  unequally  distributed  over  the  body, 
thicker  and  warmer  in  some  places  than  in  others.  This 
is  often  the  case  with  little  girls.  They  are  warmly  clad 
about  the  chest  and  abdomen,  while  their  limbs  are 
exposed  to  the  cold.  The  effect  of  this  is  to  drive  the 
blood  from  the  extremities.  Directly,  this  is  injurious  ; 


DRESS.  163 

remotely,  it  tends  to  an  unequal  development  of  the  parts. 
The  circulation  in  the  extremities  is  impeded  until  it  fails 
to  recuperate  the  continual  waste  of  tissue.  This  is  part 
of  the  reason  why  so  many  girls  grow  up  with  fairly- 
developed  busts,  but  scrawny  and  ill-shaped  legs  and 
arms. 

The  clothing  should  be  adapted  to  the  functional 
operations  of  the  body.  Circulation  and  respiration  must 
not  be  interfered  with  by  bands  and  compresses.  The 
dress  may  be  trim  without  being  tight  to  obstructiveness. 
The  blood  must  be  allowed  unimpeded  movement  through 
the  veins  and  arteries.  The  further  the  part  is  removed 
from  the  center  of  circulation,  the  weaker  is  the  movement 
and  hence  the  greater  care  should  be  given  that  no  obstacle 
in  the  way  of  tight  waist-bands,  shoes,  etc.,  be  permitted. 
The  same  may  be  said  of  respiration.  It  is  very  important 
that  the  dress  permit  unhindered  movement  of  the  muscles 
concerned  in  breathing.  The  dress  should  further  be 
constructed  with  a  view  to  perfect  ease  and  freedom  of 
movement  of  all  the  parts  of  the  body.  The  nature  of 
the  material  used  has  much  to  do  with  the  attainment  of 
this  end.  It  is  not  an  uncommon  thing  to  see  children  so 
dressed  that  when  they  remain  in  a  certain  .position  their 
clothing  hangs  gracefully  ;  but  the  texture  or  the  manner 
of  its  construction  will  not  permit  taking  certain  other 
positions.  Children  are  keen-sighted  and  sensitive.  A 
boy  of  even  eight  years  of  age,  when  he  discerns  that  he 
cannot  sit  down  without  drawing  his  dress  out  of  neat  fit, 
will  not  and  cannot  sit  gracefully  and  comfortably  in  the 


164        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

presence  of  others.  The  dress  should  allow  the  arms, 
legs,  shoulders  and  body  generally  to  be  moved  freely 
without  a  feeling  of  discomfort  or  a  consciousness  of 
disorder  in  appearances. 

Fashion. 

It  has  already  been  said  that  children  are  observing 
and  sensitive.  They  are  keenly  alive  to  the  impression 
which  their  dress  creates  in  the  beholder.  Their  feelings 
operate  on- their  intellectual  powers  and  habits.  A  child 
slovenly  dressed  feels  slovenly,  and  is  quite  likely  to  think 
slovenly.  On  the  other  extreme,  a  child  dressed  like  a 
doll  is  likely  to  feel  and  think  doll-fashion.  Here,  then, 
are  two  extremes  to  be  avoided  for  the  subjective  good  of 
the  child  —  slovenliness  and  vanity.  It  is  a  well-estab- 
lished psychological  fact  that  the  intellectual  and  emotional 
natures  of  persons  are  largely  conditioned  by  material 
environments.  Everything  about  the  maturing  life  has 
an  influence  on  its  mind  and  character.  The  subject  may 
not  be  elaborated  here  ;  suffice  it  to  say  that  dress  is  a 
material  circumstance  most  potent  in  its  influence  and 
effects.  No  adult  who  reads  these  pages  can  deny  that 
his  mental  and  moral  feelings  are  influenced  by  the  way 
in  which  he  is  dressed.  The  writer  remembers  to  have 
demonstrated  this  frequently  during  his  school-days,  both 
with  himself  and  others.  The  attempt  would  be  made  to 
write  an  essay  on  some  topic  requiring  elevation  of  mind 
and  free  imaginative  scope.  With  such  a  task  on  hand,  if 
one  should  dress  himself  in  a  slatternly  manner  and 


GOVERNMENT   OF   CHILDHOOD.  165 

repair  to  the  stable  or  wood-shed,  the  free  play  of  thought 
was  impossible.  Words,  phrases,  topics,  metaphors, 
could  not  be  recalled,  for  the  thoughts  were  uniformly  in 
the  plane  of  the  surroundings.  Change  the  conditions 
let  the  dress  be  neat,  clean  and  tasty,  seek  a  beautiful 
site  for  landscape,  or  repair  to  an  orderly-arranged  room, 
and  the  best?  thought  of  which  the  mind  was  capable 
would  be  evoked. 

What  is  true  of  adults  with  regard  to  the  influence  of 
dress  upon  mental  action  is  increasingly  true  of  children. 
The  mind  of  a  child  is  more  impressionable.  It  is  much 
more  easily  affected  for  good  or  evil.  As  the  mind  is 
now  in  its  formative  state,  it  is  manifestly  important  that 
it  be  formed  on  as  pure  a  model  and  on  as  high  a  plane  as 
is  attainable.  If  low  and  base  thoughts  be  constantly 
evoked,  the  mind  and  moral  nature  will  be  formed  on  this 
scale.  Criminals  are  bred  in  filthy  surroundings  ;  the 
keen,  careful  man  of  business  was  the  boy  whose  early 
life  was  attended  by  care  and  exactness.  The  easy, 
polite,  graceful  society  lady  was  not  clothed  in  ill-fitting 
garments  of  obsolete  patterns  when  she  was  a  girl.  The 
highest  perfection  in  dress  is  reached  when  it  enables  its 
wearer  to  feel  easy,  natural,  and  beyond  remark,  either 
on  account  of  uncouthness  or  hyper-elegance. 

Government  of  Childhood. 

The  relation  of  parent  and  child  involves  certain  privi- 
leges. Every  privilege  involves  an  obligation.  It  is  the 
parents'  privilege  to  exercise  authority  over  their  children  ; 


166        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

it  is  their  duty  to  execute  this  authority.  The  parents 
are  the  tutors  and  governors.  They  cannot  escape  this 
duty  if  they  would.  They  are  bound  to  govern 
their  children  and  it  .is  the  duty  of  the  child  to 
submit  to  the  paternal  rule.  If  it  do  not  submit  it 
should  be  compelled  to.  A  large  share  of  this  govern- 
ment devolves  upon  the  mother.  A  mother  is  invested 
by  God  with  a  decree  of  authority  over  her  child 
which  she  cannot  neglect  to  use  without  being  guilty  of 
trampling  under  foot  the  institutions  of  heaven.  Every 
family  is  a  community,  the  government  of  which  is  strictly 
despotic,  though  it  should  not  be  tyrannical.  Parents  are 
sovereigns,  though  they  should  not  be  oppressors.  Legis- 
lators are  not  merely  counselors,  and  their  will  should  be 
not  advice,  but  law.  The  mother's  prerogative  is  to 
command,  to  restrain,  and  to  punish,  and  children  are 
required  to  obey.  If  need  be,  she  may  threaten,  rebuke, 
chastise,  and  the  child  should  submit  with  reverence. 

The  mother  is  to  decide  what  books  are  to  be  read, 
what  companions  invited,  what  engagements  formed,  and 
how  time  is  to  be  spent.  If  she  see  anything  wrong  she 
is  not  to  interpose  with  the  timid,  feeble,  ineffectual  voice 
of  Eli  —  "  Why  do  ye  thus,  my  sons  ?  "  —  but  with  the 
firm,  though  mild  prohibition.  A  parent  must  rule  her 
own  house,  and  by  her  conduct  make  her  children  feel 
that  obedience  to  her  command  is  her  due.  A  lack 
of  discipline  is  identical  with  confusion  and  domestic 
anarchy. 

Where  discipline  is  absent  everything  goes  wrong.  A 
gardener  may  sou-  the  choicest  seeds,  but  if  he  neglects 


GOVERNMENT  OF  CHILDHOOD.          l6/ 

to  pull  up  the  weeds  and  prune  wild  luxuriance,  he  may 
not  expect  to  see  his  flowers  grow  nor  his  garden  flourish. 
So  a  mother  may  deliver  the  best  instructions,  but  if  she 
do  not  by  discipline  eradicate  evil  tempers,  correct  bad 
habits  and  repress  rank  corruptions,  nothing  excellent  can 
be  looked  for.  She  may  be  a  good  prophet  and  a  good 
priest,  but  she  must  be  as  well  a  queen,  or  all  is  in  vain. 
When  once  a  sceptre  shall  have  been  broken,  or  relin- 
quished to  the  child  as  a  plaything,  all  hope  for  the 
proper  government  of  the  family  may  as  well  be  given 
up. 

In  his  professional  life  the  writer  has  witnessed  the 
evils  resulting  from  the  want  of  discipline  in  innumerable 
families.  Frightful  instances  of  disorder  and  immorality 
are  now  present  to  the  mind  which  he  could  well  wish  to 
forget.  The  misfortune  in  many  families  is  that  discipline 
is  unsteady  and  irregular  —  sometimes  carried  to  tyranny 
itself,  at  other  times  relaxed  into  total  suspension  —  so 
that  the  children  now  tremble  like  slaves,  and  now  revolt 
like  rebels.  This  is  a  most  erroneous  system,  and  its 
effects  are  just  what  might  be  expected. 

Another  evil  is  that  discipline  is  often  abortive.  That 
is,  it  is  administered  at  a  proper  time  and  manner,  but  is 
relaxed  just  short  of  success.  No  correction  should  be 
commenced  that  is  not  completed  then  and  there.  When 
an  order  has  been  issued,  its  execution  should  follow. 
When  chastisement  for  a  certain  end  is  to  be  applied,  it 
should  not  be  relinquished  until  that  end  is  reached,  and 
one  thorough  correction  is  worth  more  than  a  hundred 
abortive  efforts. 


l68        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

Parents,  particularly  mothers,  often  delay  the  applica- 
tion of  coercive  measures  too  long.  There  is  nothing 
surprising  about  this.  The  growth  of  the  child  is  so 
gradual  that  the  mother  does  not  notice  the  progress  made 
from  day  to  day.  At  first,  and  for  months  afterwards, 
the  infant  is  incapable  of  understanding  the  meaning  of 
government.  It  must  be  coaxed  and  wheedled.  The 
time  glides  away  rapidly,  and  the  mother  scarce  knows 
when  she  should  have  begun  to  govern  her  child  instead 
of  having  it  govern  her. 

Whately  says  :  "  A  mother  once  asked  a  clergyman 
when  she  should  begin  the  education  of  her  child,  which 
she  told  him  was  then  four  years  old.  '  Madam,'  was  the 
reply,  '  you  have  lost  four  years  already.  From  the  very 
first  smile  that  gleams  over  an  infant's  cheek  your 
opportunity  begins.' ' 

In  some  cases  discipline  commences  too  late,  and  in 
others  too  early.  A  mother's  magisterial  office  is  nearly 
coeval  with  her  parental  relation.  A  child,  as  soon  as  it 
can  reason,  should  be  made  to  feel  that  obedience  is  due 
to  parents,  for  if  it  grow  up  before  it  have  been  subject  to 
the  mild  rule  of  parental  authority  it  will  very  likely  be 
like  an  untamed  bullock  —  resist  the  yoke.  On  the  other 
hand,  so  long  as  children  continue  beneath  the  parental 
roof  they  are  to  be  subject  to  the  rules  of  domestic 
discipline. 

Many  mothers  err  in  abdicating  the  throne  in  favor  of 
a  daughter,  because  the  child  is  becoming  a  woman.  It 
is  truly  pitiable  to  see  a  girl,  entering  her  teens,  just 


GOVERNMENT   OF   CHILDHOOD.  169 

returned  from  school  who  is  allowed  to  sow  the  seeds  of 
discord  or  revolt  in  the  domestic  circle,  and  to  act  in 
opposition  to  parental  authority  until  the  too-compliant 
mother  gives  the  reins  of  government  into  childish  hands, 
or  else,  by  her  conduct,  declares  the  children  to  be  in  a 
state  of  independence.  There  need  be  no  contest  for 
power,  for  where  a  child  has  been  accustomed  to  obey 
from  infancy,  the  yoke  of  obedience  will  generally  be  light 
and  easy  ;  if  not,  and  a  rebellious  temper  should  show 
itself  early,  a  judicious  mother  will  be  on  her  guard  and 
allow  no  encroachments  on  her  prerogative.  At  the  same 
time,  the  increased  power  of  her  authority,  like  the 
increased  pressure  of  the  atmosphere,  should  be  felt  with- 
out being  seen,  and  this  will  make  it  irresistible. 

Undue  severity  is  as  injurious  as  unlimited  indulgence. 
If  injudicious  fondness  have  slain  its  tens  of  thousands, 
unnecessary  harshness  has  destroyed  its  thousands.  By 
an  authority  which  cannot  err  we  are  told  that  the  cords 
of  love  are  the  bonds  of  a  man.  There  is  a  plastic  power 
in  love.  The  human  mind  is  so  constituted  as  to  yield 
readily  to  the  influence  of  its  kindness.  Men  are  more 
easily  led  to  their  duties  than  driven  to  them.  "  A  child," 
says  an  Eastern  proverb,  "  may  lead  an  elephant  by  a 
single  hair. "  Love  seems  so  essential  an  element  of  the 
parental  character  that  there  is  something  shockingly 
revolting,  not  only  in  a  cruel,  an  unkind  or  a  severe,  but 
even  in  a  cold-hearted  mother. 

Study  the  parental  character  as  it  is  exhibited  in  that 
most  explicitly  tpuching  moral  picture,  the  parable  of  the 


I/O  •     MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

prodigal  son.  When  a  mother  governs  entirely  by  sole, 
bare  authority,  by  mere  commands,  prohibitions,  and 
threats,  by  frowns  untempered  with  smiles  ;  when  the 
legislator  is  never  blended  with  the  friend,  nor  authority 
mingled  with  love  ;  when  her  conduct  produces  in  the 
hearts  of  her  children  only  a  servile  fear,  instead  of  an 
obedient  affection  ;  when  she  is  served  because  of  dread 
of  the  effects  of  disobedience  ;  when  she  is  rather  dreaded 
in  the  family  circle  as  a  frowning  spectre  than  hailed  as 
the  guardian  angel  of  its  joys  ;  when  even  accidents  raise 
a  storm,  or  faults  produce  a  hurricane  of  passion  in  her 
bosom ;  when  offenders  are  driven  to  equivocation  or 
lying  with  a  hope  of  averting  by  concealment  those  severe 
corrections  which  disclosure  always  entails  ;  when  unnec- 
essary interruptions  are  made  to  innocent  enjoyments  ; 
when,  in  fact,  nothing  of  the  mother  but  everything  of  the 
tyrant  is  seen — can  we  expect  a  moral  excellence  to 
flourish  in  such  a  soil  ?  Yes,  as  rationally  as  we  may 
expect  the  tenderest  house-plant  to  thrive  amidst  the 
rigors  of  eternal  frost  ! 

It  is  useless  for  such  a  mother  to  try  to  properly  teach 
her  household.  She  chills  the  soul  of  the  pupils;  she 
hardens  their  hearts  against  impressions  ;  she  prepares 
them  to  rush  with  eager  haste  to  their  ruin  as  soon  as  they 
have  thrown  off  the  yoke  of  their  bondage,  and  to  employ 
their  liberty  to  secure  the  means  of  unbridled  gratification. 
Like  a  company  of  slaves,  they  are  at  first  tortured  by 
their  thralldom,  and  by  that  very  bondage  trained  to 
convert  their  sudden  emancipation  into  a  means  of 
destruction. 


GOVERNMENT  OF  CHILDHOOD.          I/I 

Let  parents,  then,  in  all  their  conduct  blend  the  law- 
giver and  the  friend  ;  temper  authority  with  kindness,  and 
realize,  in  their  measure,  that  representation  of  Deity 
which  Dr.  Watts  has  given  us  : 

"  Sweet  majesty  and  awful  love 
Sit  smiling  on  His  brow." 

In  short,  let  them  so  act  as  to  convince  the  children 
that  their  law  is  holy,  and  their  commandment  holy,  just, 
and  good,  and  that  to  be  so  governed  is  to  be  blessed. 

No  educational  system  is  perfect  which  does  not  include 
the  development,  in  due  proportion,  of  the  whole  nature 
of  the  pupil.  The  infant  at  birth  contains  a  germ  of  all 
that  is  great  and  good.  Education  is  simply  the  process 
of  drawing  out  and  developing  dormant  energies  into  a 
condition  which  makes  the  attainment  of  desired  ends 
possible.  In  the  natural  course. of  things,  some  sort  of 
development  will  come  ;  the  innate  germs  will  be  evolved 
into  present  potencies,  and  the  latent  strength  will  be 
energized.  The  body  will  grow  ;  its  bones  and  muscles 
will  acquire  strength  and  become  fitted  to  the  end  for 
which  they  were  given.  The  mind,  and  soul,  too,  will 
expand  with  the  young  physical  nature,  and  the  infant 
will  pass  into  the  child,  the  child  into  the  youth,  and  the 
youth  into  the  mature  being.  All  this  evolution  will 
come  in  the  natural  course  of  events. 

But  something  more  than  mere  growth  is  needed  in 
order  that  the  essential  end  of  being  shall  be  conserved. 
There  must  be  the  education  of  all  the  parts  and  faculties 
of  the  infant  being  in  order  to  the  attainment  of  a 


1/2  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

symmetrical  life.  Undue  attention  to  one  part  of  the 
child's  nature,  with  the  neglect  of  another  part  will  disturb 
the  equilibrium  so  necessary  to  a  proper  fulfillment  of  the 
purposes  of  life.  If  the  body  receive  attention  and  the 
intellectual  nature  be  neglected,  the  child  may  become  a 
fine  animal,  but  not  a  man  or  woman.  On  the  other 
hand,  if  the  mind  be  educated  out  of  proportion  to  the 
development  of  the  physical  energies,  the  matured  being 
is  not  fitted  for  securing  life,  health  and  happiness. 

Recognizing  the  truth  of  all  this,  the  part  of  the 
educator  is  made  apparent.  The  threefold  nature  of  the 
child  must  be  admitted,  and  each  part  receive  due  atten- 
tion. Much  has  already  been  said  about  the  physical  and 
intellectual  conditions  essential  to  proper  education.  It 
remains  to  note  that  the  moral  nature  should  not  be 
neglected.  The  moral  education  includes  the  inculcation 
of  religious  truths  and  the  development  of  the  religious 
nature. 

Man  is  by  nature  a  religious  being  ;  it  is  entirely 
natural  for  him,  even  at  his  highest  development,  to  look 
to  something  higher  and  better,  and  to  pay  homage  to  it. 
This  principle  was  instilled  into  the  nature  of  man  by  his 
Creator  for  a  great  purpose.  The  development  of  that 
purpose  rests  almost  wholly  with  the  parents.  It  is 
impossible  for  a  child  or  an  adult  to  live  without  a  God. 
It  rests  with  the  parents  to  determine  whether  that  duty 
shall  be  good  or  evil. 


WHEN   TO    COMMENCE   RELIGIOUS   TRAINING.        1/3 

When  to  Commence  Religious  Training. 

The  time  for  beginning  religious  education  dates  with 
the  dawning  of  reason  in  consciousness.  This  does  not 
mean  that  religious  instruction  according  to  any  denomi- 
national doctrine  should  then  commence.  As  has  been 
said,  education  is  simply  a  leading  out  of  what  already 
exists.  As  soon  as  the  religious  nature  begins  to  manifest 
itself  it  should  be  educated,  or  led  out.  This  is  necessary 
to  preserve  symmetry  of  development,  the  need  of  which 
has  been  so  carefully  mentioned. 

The  first  principle  of  religious  truth  is  a  distinction 
between  right  and  wrong.  This  the  child  can  easily  be 
taught.  Following  this  comes  the  duty  of  doing  right 
and  shunning  wrong.  The  next  step  is  to  teach  the  child 
to  do  right  because  it  is  right,  and  to  keep  from  doing 
wrong  because  it  is  wrong.  This  is  an  easy,  natural  cor- 
ollary of  ordinary  discipline.  The  child  obeys  the  parent 
because  he  believes  the  parent  to  be  right.  He  can  be 
taught  to  obey  God  for  the  same  reason. 

A  third  step  will  be  to  teach  that  doing  right  is  profit- 
able ;  doing  wrong,  disastrous.  Also,  that  doing  right 
insures  reward  and  happiness  ;  that  doing  wrong  will 
inevitably  result  in  punishment  and  misery.  The  child 
will  readily  comprehend  these  truths.  They  are  almost 
identical  with  parental  discipline.  It  is  only  necessary, 
then,  to  inculcate  the  notion  of  the  fatherhood  of  God  and 
the  endlessness  of  eternity,  and  the  foundation  is  securely 
laid.  This  part  of  the  religious  education  can  be  begun 
very  early  in  life.  It  is  all  the  better  so. 


174  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

As  the  child  grows  older,  formal  religious  truths  and 
practical  observance  can  be  taught.  The  former  will 
naturally  be  in  the  form  of  rules,  largely.  To  these  the 
child  is  partially  accustomed.  The  latter  is  best  done  by 
example.  No  woman,  be  she  mother  or  not,  can 
drive  a  child  into  the  Kingdom  of  God.  She  can  lead 
it  thither,  it  will  go  with  her  or  follow  after  her.  If  she 
"  walk  with  God"  daily  she  can  keep  her  child  in  the  same 
company.  If  she  sit  with  Jesus  Christ  in  Heavenly 
places  her  child  will  sit  with  her. 


PUBERTY. 


Its  Definition. 

THE  term  of  puberty  is  used  to  denote  that  period  in 
life  when  sexual  development  takes  place.  The  word 
itself  is  derived,  or  rather  adopted  from  the  Latin, 
Pubertas,  which  signifies  the  marriageable  state  —  that  is 
to  say,  that  state  of  development  of  the  procreative  func- 
tions which  made  the  begetting  of  offspring  possible. 
While  the  word  puberty  is  equally  applicable  to  either 
sex,  its  application  is  often  limited  to  one.  In  the  present 
work  this  word  will  be  employed  to  designate  the  period 
and  change  which  converts  the  child  into  the  maiden. 

Puberty  marks  the  beginning  of  adolescence,  the  dawn 
of  mature  development.  It  is  not  so  much  an  act  of  Nature 
as  the  consummation  of  processes  that  have  been  at  work 
for  years,  but  which  burst  into  fruition  at  this  time. 
Adolescence  is  a  period  that  works  great  changes  in  the 
entire  nature  of  a  girl.  Her  tastes,  habits,  disposition, 
thoughts,  emotions  —  in  short,  her  whole  physical  being 
and  whole  spiritual  character  undergo  a  revolution.  She 
enters  it  a  child  ;  she  emerges  a  woman.  She  enters 
it  raw,  unformed,  perhaps  unattractive  ;  she  comes  from 
it  full,  rounded,  matured. 


1/6  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

The  intellectual  changes  are  most  gigantic  during  this 
time.  Among  no  people  are  these  so  marked  as  among 
the  Caucasian  race.  The  physical  changes  are  almost 
equally  great.  The  sign  of  puberty  is  the  menstrual  flow, 
which  consists  of  the  emission  from  the  womb  of  a  fluid 
having  the  appearance  and  consistency  of  venal  blood. 
The  beginning  of  this  flow  marks  the  beginning  of  the 
period.  It  is  a  sign  that  the  girl  has  now  reached  the 
degree  of  development  in  which  her  generative  organs  are 
capable  of  their  full  functions.  The  capabilities  of 
maternity  exist  in  active  operation.  Childhood  has  passed 
away  forever.  Maidenhood  and  womanhood,  with  all 
that  these  imply  of  happiness  and  hardship,  are  upoa 
her. 

Evidence  of  the  Approach  of  the  Menses. 

The  functions  of  the  generative  organs  of  woman  are 
not  always  established  without  subjecting  her  to  annoy- 
ances ;  nay,  even  to  suffering  and  affliction,  which  need 
not  only  counsel  but  also  medical  aid. 

A  woman  is  subject  to  menstruation  during  the  best 
period  of  her  life.  During  this  period  of  thirty  or  more 
years  of  her  womanhood,  her  health  is,  in  a  great 
measure,  dependent  upon  the  accomplishment  of  that 
function  ;  and,  according  to  the  success  or  failure  of  that 
process,  she  either  flourishes  in  the  enjoyment  of  health 
or  languishes  in  pain  and  weakness.  Previous  to  this  she 
has  given  her  parents  no  special  care  or  anxiety,  but  has 
been  allowed  to  run,  play  and  romp  like  a  boy.  Puberty, 


EVIDENCE   OF   THE   APPROACH    OF   THE   MENSES.       177 

although  apparently  sudden,  is  effected  gradually,  and 
not  always  without  accident.  Its  manifestation  in  menstrua- 
tion may  be  normal,  or  so  abnormal  as  to  constitute  a 
real  malady. 

A  girl,  apparently  in  a  state  of  perfect  health,  may  be 
taken  in  such  acute  and  severe  symptoms  as  to  lead  a 
mother  to  suspect  indications  of  a  severe  malady.  A 
mother  may  be  misled  by  the  singular  complaints  into  the 
belief  that  the  sickness  is  feigned  when  her  daughter 
should  be  the  object  of  her  sincere  sympathy.  Again,  an 
ignorant  attendant,  believing  the  indisposition  to  be  an 
accidental  attack  of  colic  from  indigestion  or  otherwise,  may 
fill  the  child  to  drunkenness  with  alcoholic  stimulants. 
Menstrual  colic  may  be  confounded  with  the  symptoms  of 
worms,  and  she  may  be  medicated  for  that  ailment,  very 
much  to  the  detriment  of  her  health. 

It  must  not,  however,  be  ignored  that  the  symptoms 
are  not  frequently  very  obscure  and  confusing.  Acute 
pain,  accompanied  with  some  degree  of  tightness  and 
oppression,  may  suggest  flatulency,  while  irregular  and 
heavy  pain  may  suggest  the  presence  of  worms.  Yet  the 
age  of  the  girl,  the  suddenness  of  the  attack  in  the  midst 
of  good  health,  and  the  periodical  return  of  these  indis- 
positions, the  regularity  of  the  pulse,  the  natural  condition 
of  the  skin,  the  cleanness  of  the  tongue,  the  absence  of 
indigestion  or  diarrhea,  the  shortness  of  the  pain,  and 
especially  coldness  of  the  feet,  when  present,  should 
suggest  rather  a  preparation  for  the  menstrual  flow. 

These   symptoms  may  generally  be   met   by  baths  of 


1 78  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

hot  water  to  the  feet,  hot  or  flaxseed-meal  poultices 
applied  to  the  abdomen  ;  or,  if  need  be,  by  warm  "  sitz 
baths."  If  there  should  be  neuralgia,  pain  in  the  chest  or 
otherwise,  some  anodyne,  such  as  a  full  dose  of  paregoric, 
might  well  be  administered.  She  is  a  wise  mother  who 
does  not  allow  this  period  to  come  unwarned  upon  her 
daughter.  An  indiscretion,  ignorantly  committed,  may 
jeopardize  the  health  of  the  whole  after-life.  A  few  words 
of  instruction  and  wise  counsel,  not  to  alarm,  but  to 
prepare  the  daughter,  may  save  a  life. 

Age  of  Puberty. 

Menstruation,  in  this  country,  generally  commences 
-at  the  age  of  from  thirteen  to  sixteen  ;  sometimes  earlier, 
at  eleven  or  twelve  ;  at  other  times  later,  and  not  until  a 
girl  is  seventeen  or  eighteen  years  of  age.  Menstruation 
is  supposed  to  commence  at  an  earlier  period  in  cities 
than  in  the  country ;  amid  luxury  than  in  simple  life. 
Upon  this  point  an  authority  says  :  "  In  the  human 
female  the  age  of  puberty,  or  of  commencing  aptitude  for 
procreation,  is  usually  between  the  thirteenth  and  six- 
teenth years.  It  is  generally  thought  to  be  somewhat 
earlier  in  warm  climates  than  in  cold,  and  in  densely- 
populated  manufacturing  towns  than  in  thinly-populated 
agricultural  districts.  The  mental  and  bodily  habits  of 
the  individual  have  also  considerable  influence  upon  the 
time  of  its  occurrence.  Girls  brought  up  in  the  midst  of 
luxury  or  sensual  indulgence  undergo  the  change  earlier 
than  those  reared  in  hardihood  and  self-denial." 


AGE    OF   PUBERTY.  1/9 

To  these  general  rules  there  are  upon  record  some 
apparently  remarkable  exceptions.  The  writer  is  familiar 
with  instances  where  the  solicitude  of  parents  has  been 
excited  by  the  long  delay  of  this  constitutional  change  ; 
others,  where  it  took  place  at  a  very  tender  age,  without 
producing  any  marked  influence  upon  the  general  health. 
A  French  writer  relates  a  case  where  a  child  of  three 
years  underwent  all  the  physical  changes  incident  to 
puberty  and  grew  to  be  a  healthy  woman.  But  Ameri- 
cans will  not  be  outdone  by  any  other  nation,  and  a 
medical  journal  has  recently  related  an  instance  in  which 
a  child  at  birth  had  regular  monthly  changes,  and  the 
full  physical  development  that  marks  the  perfect  woman. 

In  very  warm  climates,  such  as  Abyssinia  and  India, 
girls  menstruate  when  quite  young,  at  even  ten  or  eleven 
years  ;  indeed,  they  are  sometimes  mothers  at  this  age. 
But  the  maturity  that  begins  early  ends  early,  and  they  are 
old  women  at  thirty.  Physically  we  know  there  is  a  very 
large  latitude  in  the  periods  of  human  maturity,  not  merely 
among  individuals,  but  among  nations  ;  differences  so 
great  that  in  some  southern  regions  of  Asia  we  hear  of 
matrimony  at  the  age  of  twelve  years. 

Dr.  Montgomery  in  his  work  on  this  subject  refers  to 
some  very  interesting  cases  of  early  maturity.  He  says  : 
"  Bruce  mentions  that  in  Abyssinia  he  has  frequently  seen 
mothers  at  the  age  of  eleven  years."  Dr.  Goodeve, 
professor  of  midwifery  at  Calcutta,  in  reply  to  an  inquiry 
upon  this  subject  said  :  "  The  earliest  age  at  which  I  have 
knovn  a  Hindoo  woman  to  bear  a  child  is  ten  years,  but  I 


ISO        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

have  heard  of  one  at  nine."  In  his  own  practice,  in  a 
period  of  almost  thirty  years,  the  earliest  age  at  which  the 
author  has  known  a  woman  to  become  a  mother  was 
thirteen  years.  The  child,  though  fairly  developed  and 
looking  healthy,  lived  only  a  few  days.  The  mother  lived 
a  few  years  and  died  of  consumption.  This  instance  of 
early  maturity  was  attributed  to  the  habits  of  family  life. 
In  the  cold  climates,  such  as  Russia,  women  begin  to 
menstruate  late  in  life,  frequently  not  until  they  are  twenty 
or  thirty  years  old  ;  and,  as  menstruation  continues  from 
thirty  to  thirty-five  years,  it  is  not  an  unusual  occurrence 
for  them  to  bear  children  at  the  advanced  age  of  sixty. 
They  are  frequently  not  regular  oftener  than  three  or  four 
times  a  year,  and  the  menstrual  discharge,  when  it  does 
occur,  is  generally  scanty. 

Race  has  an  influence  on  the  time  of  puberty.  It  has 
been  observed  that  in  the  same  latitude  certain  types  of 
women  are  more  precocious  than  others  ;  there  may  be 
a  constitutional  predisposition  to  early  maturity.  It  will 
be  seen,  however,  in  almost  every  case,  that  the  climate 
has  an  indirect  influence.  The  Hebrew  girl,  no  matter 
where  she  may  be  found,  almost  invariably  reaches  her 
menstrual  period  a  year  or  more  in  advance  of  her  Germanic 
or  Anglo-Saxon  sisters.  One  reason  for  this  undoubt- 
edly is  that  the  Hebrew  race  is  native  to  tropical,  or  semi- 
tropical,  climes.  True,  it  is  scattered  throughout  the 
earth,  and  is  found  everywhere,  but  these  people,  in  all 
their  history,  have  kept  themselves  apart  ;  they  have 
intermingled  with  no  other  race.  They  are  to-day  as 


AGE   OF   PUBERTY.  l8l 

much  a  "  peculiar  people,"  in  a  physiological  sense,  as 
they  were  in  the  days  of  their  father,  Abraham.  Through 
all  the  ages  they  have  maintained  their  race  characteristics, 
so  that,  virtually,  the  Jewish  maiden  has  the  constitutional 
peculiarities  she  inherits  from  a  race  that  is  indigenous  to 
a  southern  latitude,  even  though  neither  she  nor  her 
immediate  progenitors  has  ever  been  in  such  a  climate. 

Creoles  and  Negro  girls  menstruate  in  early  life.  In 
this,  too,  the  constitution  has  much  to  do  in  determining 
the  precocity.  In  the  case  of  the  Creole,  there  is  the 
warm  blood  of  a  Southern  race.  The  same  is  true  of  the 
Quadroon,  Octoroon,  or  pure  negress.  Decades  may 
have  passed  since  any  of  the  family  of  the  girl  dwelt  in  a 
warm  climate,  but  the  inherited  constitution  still  shows  its 
influence. 

Temperament  exercises  an  influence  on  puberty.  The 
fact  is  ascertained,  though  the  reason  be  not  apparent. 
Brunettes  reach  the  age  of  puberty  sooner,  as  a  rule,  than 
blondes.  Girls  of  black  eyes  and  hair  are  more  precocious 
than  those  of  blue  eyes  and  light  hair.  The  nervo-bilious 
temperament  matures  earlier  than  the  phlegmatic  or  lym- 
phatic. 

Habits  of  life,  physical  and  emotional,  tend  to  expedite 
or  retard  this  epoch.  A  regular  life,  with  hygienic  habits 
of  eating  and  drinking,  healthful  exercise  and  labor,  with 
no  social  dissipation,  will  allow  the  girl  to  pass  to  the  full 
natural  time  of  puberty.  On  the  other  hand,  idleness, 
dissipation  in  diet,  especially  in  richness  of  quality,  drink, 
stimulants  and  social  dissipation  tend  to  prematurity  in 
this  epoch. 


1 82  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

The  excitation  of  certain  emotions,  particularly  those 
tending  to  sexual  passion,  influence  early  puberty.  Late 
hours,  loss  of  sleep,  sensational  reading,  voluptuous 
music,  often  tend  to  premature  development.  Girls  in  a 
city,  as  a  rule,  menstruate  from  six  to  eight  months  earlier 
than  those  in  the  country,  in  the  same  latitude  and  of  the 
same  temperament.  The  reason  is  found  in  the  difference 
in  the  physical  life  and  habits  of  the  two.  The  former 
lead  a  more  idle  and  dissipated  life  than  the  latter,  who 
live  more  out  of  doors  and  perform  harder  and  more  con- 
stant labor. 

The  period  of  puberty  is  attended  with  many  serious 
dangers  to  the  health  of  the  maiden.  .  It  is  the  time  when 
constitutional  defects  are  most  likely  to  manifest  them- 
selves, and  when  inherited  predisposition  to  certain  dis- 
eases is  most  likely  to  blossom  into  activity.  A  child 
with  a  tendency  to  consumption,  for  example,  or  scrofula, 
epilepsy,  or  something  of  the  sort,  is  most  likely  to  give 
evidence  of  the  disease  at  this  time.  The  buoyancy  and 
elasticity  of  childhood  may  have  carried  the  girl  through 
that  era  without  developing  any  trace  of  the  hereditary 
tendency.  The  great  change  that  now  takes  place  in  her 
life  will  call  out  the  malady.  The  two  years  of  puberty 
are  critical.  They  condition  the  after-life  largely.  There 
is  no  time  in  life  when  the  laws  of  hygiene  should  be 
more  scrupulously  observed  than  now.  Nothing  can  sur- 
pass, in  point  of  importance,  the  care  of  the  health  during 
this  time.  Four  words  comprise  the  hygiene  of  this 
epoch  —  food,  exercise,  rest  and  sleep. 


AGE   OF   PUBERTY.  .  183 

Particular  attention  should  be  given  to  the  diet.  The 
quantity  of  food  required  is  more  than  has  been  necessary 
hitherto.  Its  quality  should  be  plain  ;  it  should  be  simply 
prepared,  nutritious,  and  taken  with  scrupulous  regularity. 
The  system  requires  to  be  nourished,  and  nourished  lav- 
ishly. Nothing  more  effectually  invites  the  implantation 
of  the  seeds  of  disease  than  a  starved  condition  of  the 
system.  Nothing  better  precludes  these  germs  than  a 
well-nourished  condition.  The  appetite  is  likely  to  be 
whimsical  and  capricious,  and  is  no  certain  index  of  the 
real  wants  of  the  system.  Reason,  supported  by  experi- 
ence and  scientific  authority,  must  guide. 

Stimulants,  such  as  tea  and  coffee,  and  certainly  all 
wines,  should  be  prohibited.  Nothing  is  better  than 
good,  fresh  milk.  It  is  nutritious  and  especially  rich  in 
nitrogen.  Vegetables  rich  in  oils  and  fat  meats  are  pecul- 
iarly beneficial  during  these  periods.  These  tend  greatly 
to  ward  off  that  most  terrible  of  all  maladies  at  this  most 
common  time  of  attack  —  consumption. 

Pleasant,  exhilarating  exercise  should  be  taken  reg- 
ularly. Let  this  be  in  the  air  and  sunshine  as  much  as 
possible.  Less  work  than  usual  must  be  done.  Severe 
discipline  in  physical  and  mental  labor  must  not  be 
enforced.  Over-exertion  is  potent  in  bringing  on  diseases. 
Above  all  things,  plenty  of  sleep  should  be  allowed.  If 
the  girl  be  disposed  to  be  tardy  in  dressing  in  the  morn- 
ing—  as  she  will  be  —  this  should  be  encouraged.  Loss 
of  sleep  at  night  is  not  to  be  allowed,  nor  dissipation  and 
exposure  to  extremes  of  cold  and  heat. 


1 84  .  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

/ 

The  beginning  of  menstruation  marks  the  consumma- 
tion of  the  changes  which  have  been  taking  place  during 
puberty.  With  the  commencement  of  the  monthly  dis- 
charge dates  the  end  of  childhood  and  the  beginning  of 
womanhood.  In  this  latitude,  the  average  time  for  the 
menses  to  set  in  is  fourteen  years  and  six  months.  It 
varies  from  the  average  in  different  cases,  and  for  reasons 
some  of  which  have  been  mentioned.  Once  established, 
this  flow  will  recur  at  regular  intervals,  from  twenty-five  to 
thirty  days  apart.  In  common  calculation,  the  time  is  put 
at  a  month's  interval,  hence  the  name  "  mense,"  or  month. 
This  interval  will  hold  good  with  perhaps  three  of  every 
four  women  in  health.  During  the  first  two  years  there 
is  likely  to  be  some  irregularity,  both  in  the  recurrence  of 
the  intervals  and  in  the  continuance  of  the  flow.  After 
that  time,  there  will  be  greater  conformity  to  the  general 
rule.  With  about  one  of  every  four  women  there  is  vari- 
ation, some  exceeding  the  average  time  of  four  weeks' 
interval  and  others  having  the  recurring  discharges  more 
frequently.  Cases  are  known  where  there  was  sickness 
every  sixteen  or  eighteen  days.  Others  where  the 
"  monthly"  did  not  come  for  thirty-six  and  forty  days. 
Variation  from  the  rule  is  no  cause  for  alarm.  Every 
woman  is  a  law  unto  herself  in  this  matter.  She  may  be 
as  regular  with  periods  six  weeks  apart  as  her  sister  with 
only  four  weeks  intervening.  As  long  as  the  general 
health  remains  good  Nature  is  working  to  the  best  rule. 
No  woman  can  pass  beyond  or  anticipate  the  interval  to 
which  her  condition  is  adapted  and  maintain  good  health. 


AGE   OF   PUBERTY.  185 

Body  and  mind  will  both  suffer  from  such  irregularity. 
As  long,  then,  as  the  general  health  does  not  suffer,  the 
times  of  the  monthly  sickness  need  give  no  concern. 

The  times  in  which  the  flow  continues  vary  consider- 
ably. The  average  is  a  little  over  four  days,  or  from  two 
to  six  days.  It  rarely  is  less  than  of  two  days'  continu- 
ance, and  as  rarely  exceeds  six.  If  the  latter  should  ever 
occur,  the  presumption  is  that  something  is  wrong,  and 
medical  counsel  should  be  had.  The  amount  of  the  dis- 
charge is  generally  from  three  to  five  ounces.  Climate 
influences  the  quantity,  as  do  also  temperament,  robust- 
ness, and  habits  of  life.  In  cold  climates  the  discharge  is 
less,  in  tropical  regions  more,  than  the  average.  With 
brunettes  and  those  women  of  strong,  sanguine  tempera- 
ment, there  is  a  greater  quantity  discharged  at  each 
period.  Habits  of  indolence  and  luxury  affect  the  quan- 
tity, increasing  it  beyond  that  of  those  whose  lives  are 
spent  industriously  and  with  few  comforts  of  home  or 
table.  Delicate  and  feeble  women  generally  have  more 
profuse  menstruation  than  robust  and  strong  ones. 

The  office  of  the  menses  in  reproduction  is  important. 
On  either  side  of  the  womb,  and  about  four  inches  from  it, 
are  two  small  bodies,  called  the  ovaries.  These  are  con- 
nected with  the  womb  by  a  small  tube.  These  ovaries 
contain  numberless  vesicles  of  infinitesimal  size,  which  pass 
from  time  to  time  into  the  womb.  These  vesicles  are 
called  ova  or  eggs.  One  of  these  ova  ripens,  so  to  speak, 
once  a  month,  and  passes  into  the  womb.  Its  passage 
into  the  womb  is  attended  by  all  the  physical  disturbances 


1 86  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

of  menstruation.  In  fact,  menstruation  is  the  manifest 
evidence  of  the  ripening  of  a  new  ovum. 

This  ovum  remains  in  the  womb  for  from  ten  to  fifteen 
days  after  the  cessation  of  the  menstrual  flow.  If,  during 
its  stay  in  the  womb,  it  should  come  in  contact  with  the 
spermatozoa  of  the  male  semen,  it  is  vitalized,  and  the 
germ  of  a  new  life  is  developed.  If,  however,  no  coition 
be  indulged,  the  ovum  dies  and  is  discharged.  Some 
women  assert  that  they  are  conscious  of  the  time  when  the 
expulsion  of  the  ovum  from  the  uterus  through  the  vagina 
is  made  ;  but  this  is  questionable.  Menstruation,  then,  is 
simply  the  process  of  ripening  an  egg  and  depositing  it  in 
the  womb,  the  proper  receptacle  for  containing  it  for 
purposes  of  conception. 

The  normal  condition  of  menstruation  is  that  in  which 
the  discharges  occur  at  regular  intervals,  however  long  or 
short  these  may  be.  It  is  Nature's  way  of  perpetuating 
the  race,  and  of  maintaining  the  equilibrium  of  the  health 
of  the  woman  during  this  part  of  her  life.  The  health  of 
the  procreative  organs  depends  upon  the  regularity  of  the 
menstrual  discharges.  When,  for  any  cause,  the  menstru- 
ation is  interfered  with,  there  is  a  local  disturbance  in  the 
reproductive  organs,  followed  by  a  disturbance  of  the 
whole  system.  During  the-  child-bearing  period  of 
woman,  menstruation  is  the  balance-wheel  of  her  health. 
As  it  is,  so  is  her  general  condition.  Not  infrequently, 
however,  there  are  functional  disturbances  of  menstruation. 
A  brief  account  of  these  may  be  given. 


CAUSES   OF   FUNCTIONAL   DISORDERS.  1 87 

Causes  of  Functional  Disorders. 

The  causes  of  functional  derangement  of  menstruation 
may  be  divided  into  two  general  classes  —  remote  and 
immediate.  The  first  are  more  likely  to  be  overlooked 
than  the  second.  Women  of  lymphatic  temperament  are 
more  prone  to  scanty  menstruation,  leucorrhea  (or  whites) 
and  hysteria  ;  while  the  sanguine  and  nervous  are  more 
liable  to  excessive  and  painful  menstruation.  Where  the 
nervous  temperament  predominates,  the  susceptibility  to 
excitement  and  to  external  impressions  predisposes  the 
person  to  conditions  which  disturb  the  natural  exercise  of 
the  menstrual  functions. 

A  want  of  proper  nourishment  impoverishes  the  blood, 
lessens  the  vital  force,  weakens  the  heart's  action,  and 
thereby  interferes  with  the  proper  distribution  of  the 
blood.  The  ovaries  and  the  womb  soon  suffer  from  this 
lack  of  proper  distribution  of  the  vital  fluid,  and  we  have 
the  evidence  of  the  suffering  in  the  scanty,  pale,  watery 
menstrual  fluid,  leucorrhea,  and  relaxation  of  the  muscles 
and  appendages  surrounding  the  womb.  While  a  want  of 
food  is  attended  with  bad  effects  in  the  manner  referred 
to,  excessive  food,  on  the  other  hand,  has  its  evil  result. 
Overtaxing  the  stomach  weakens  its  digestive  powers  and 
prevents  proper  nutrition.  This  overfeeding,  and 
especially  of  very  rich  and  highly-seasoned  dishes,  over- 
loads and  irritates  the  system,  until  the  ovaries  and  womb 
manifest  their  sympathy  by  painful  menstruation,  etc. 

Vitiated  air  is  another  very  fruitful  source  of  general 


1 88  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

debility  in  women  and  derangement  of  their  menstrual 
functions.  A  distinguished  writer  on  the  subject  of  pure 
air  remarks:  "  Humanity  dwells  in  a  sea  of  air,  as  fish  dwell 
in  a  sea  of  water  ;  and  as  the  latter  must  be  affected  by 
the  quality  of  water,  so  must  the  former  be  affected  by 
the  quality  of  the  atmosphere."  How  important  for  the 
healthful  performance  of  the  functions  of  the  body  that 
the  air,  with  which  we  fill  our  lungs  at  every  inspiration, 
be  not  freighted  with  such  impurities  as  disturb  these 
functions,  and  even  implant  the  seeds  of  death. 

Exercise  is  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in 
remedying  functional  derangements  of  the  sexual  organs. 
Exercise  is  said  to  be  the  harmonizer  between  supply  and 
waste,  or  nourishment  and  decay.  When  properly  con- 
ducted, it  gives  vigor  and  strength  to  the  body,  and 
assists  all  the  organs  in  the  performance  of  their  functions. 
Deprive  a  woman  of  sunshine,  air  and  exercise,  and  she 
becomes  enervated  ;  the  functions  of  her  genitive  organs 
languish  ;  she  loses  her  bright  tints  and  colors  ;  general 
debility  follows,  and,  as  a  consequence,  general  disturb- 
ance of  the  organs  of  generation.  It  may  be  added  that 
loss  of  sleep  through  social  dissipation  is  a  fruitful  source 
of  derangement  and  consequent  disease.  Sleep,  next  to 
food  and  exercise,  is  a  natural  hygiene.  It  is  the  third  in 
the  triad  of  health  preservatives. 

Amenorrhea,  or  Suppression  of  the   Menses. 

This  means  the  absence  of  menstruation.  It  may 
happen  in  different  circumstances.  Menstruation  may 
have  never  made  its  appearance.  Menstruation  may  have 


AMENORRHEA,    OR   SUPPRESSION   OF   THE   MENSES.       189 

been  established,  and  suppression  may  be  suddenly 
brought  about,  attended  with  acute  symptoms,  and  hence 
may  very  properly  be  termed  acute  suppression,  or  there 
may  be  no  special  disturbance  at  the  time,  but  it  may 
continue  long  enough  to  be  denominated  chronic  sup- 
pression. 

Some  pathologists  add  to  these  two,  partial  suppres- 
sion—  that  is,  either  when  there  is  a  deficiency  in 
quantity,  or  infrequency  in  the  periodical  return. 

And  you  might  add  retention  of  the  menstrual  fluid 
either  in  the  uterus  or  vagina,  or  both,  after  having  been 
effused.  This  retention,  although  it  fill  all  the  require- 
ments of  the  definition  of  suppression  of  menstruation,  is 
distinct  in  many  respects,  giving  rise  to  a  different  set  of 
symptoms  and  requiring  a  very  different  kind  of  treat- 
ment. It  will  be  treated  under  the  head  of  physical 
dysmenorrhea.  Whether  we  have  the  legitimate  right  to 
regard  the  failure  of  an  organ  to  support  its  functions  as 
a  distinct  malady,  may  be  questioned,  but,  in  view  of  the 
quantity  of  fluid  excreted  and  the  importance  of  the 
functions  of  menstruation,  suppression  may  be  the  cause 
of  very  grave  disease. 

The  causes  of  suppression  of  menstruation  are  physical 
or  constitutional  and  accidental.  When  there  is  suppres- 
sion of  menstruation,  either  on  account  of  the  absence  of 
the  organs  of  generation  or  for  the  want  of  sufficient 
development  of  these  organs,  the  cause  of  suppression  may 
be  called  physical.  Such  cases,  however,  do  not  usually 
show  any  special  inconvenience  as  a  result  of  suppression. 


MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 


Professor  Byford  says  :  "  The  non-appearance  of  the 
menses  on  account  of  the  absence  of  the  uterus  is  not 
usually  attended  with  the  chronic  suffering  I  have  alluded 
to.  Ordinarily,  and,  indeed,  in  all  the  cases  of  this  kind 
to  which  my  attention  has  been  called,  the  patients 
appeared  to  be  perfectly  well.  One  of  these  patients 
was  thirty-three  years  ot  age,  another  twenty-seven,  and 
a  third  twenty-two,  and  all  of  them  were  in  perfectly  good 
health." 

The  same  author,  in  speaking  of  amenorrhea  patients, 
whose  uterine  organs  were  not  sufficiently  developed, 
says  :  "  I  have  had  occasion  to  see  and  examine  and 
watch  for  several  years  two  cases  of  chronic  amenorrhea 
from  deficient  development  of  the  uterus  and  perhaps  of 
the  ovaries.  They  were  both  married.  One  of  them  is 
twenty-eight  years  of  age  and  has  been  married  nine 
years,  has  never  menstruated,  has  no  sexual  desire,  but 
lives  happily  with  her  husband.  The  other  has  been 
married  three  years,  is  twenty-five  years  of  age  and 
resembles  the  first  completely." 

From  these  examples  it  will  be  seen  that  the  absence 
of  the  menses  is  not  the  cause  of  all  the  nervous  suffering 
that  we  usually  find  associated  with  it.  But  it  is  the 
result  of  a  condition  of  the  uterus  and  organs  associated 
with  it.  The  degree  of  sensibility  of  the  sexual  organs, 
the  temperament,  and  the  organization  of  the  uterine 
organs,  may  be  constitutional  causes. 

Whenever  any  constitutional  weakness  exists,  any 
immediate  cause  v/ill  act  as  an  auxiliary  in  producing 


AMENORRHEA,    ETC.  191 

f 

suppression  of  the  menses.  Anything  that  lowers  the 
vital  forces  of  the  system  may  act  as  an  immediate  cause, 
such  as  poor  nourishment,  sedentary  life,  unhealthy  apart- 
ments, overwork,  late  hours  ;  also,  moral  affections,  such 
as  sadness,  grief,  disappointment,  etc.,  excessive  hemorr- 
hages from  any  organ,  debilitating  diseases,  such  as  fevers, 
tuberculosis,  etc.  Occasionally  the  suppression  of  the 
menses  in  tuberculosis  may  be  the  first  symptom  that 
causes  any  alarm,  and  that  induces  the  subject  to  consult 
a  physician.  But  any  serious  malady,  such  as  we  have 
referred  to,  is  usually  well  developed  before  the  symptom 
of  suppression  appears.  Prominent  among  the  accidental 
causes  of  suppression  are  sudden  exposure  to  cold  when 
the  body  is  overheated,  ablutions  of  the  body  in  cold 
water,  or  exposing  the  feet,  or,  with  some,  even  the  hands 
in  cold  water,  ice-cold  drinks,  or  ice-cream,  sudden  loss 
of  a  large  quantity  of  blood  from  the  womb  or  otherwise, 
any  great  mental  shock,  excessive  pains,  etc. —  any  of 
these  accidental  causes  occurring  at  the  time  of  the  return 
of  the  menstrual  period  may  induce  suppression.  Change 
of  the  clothing  during  menstruation  will  produce  suppres- 
sion with  a  great  many  women. 

The  local  symptoms  which  attend  the  absence  of  the 
menses  will  be  varied  according  to  the  nature  of  the 
causes  which  give  rise  to  it.  If  the  patient  has  commenced 
to  menstruate,  and  from  some  accidental  cause  the  flow 
has  suddenly  stopped,  it  may  be  regarded  as  acute 
suppression,  and  we  will  have  the  symptoms  of  great 
congestion  or  inflammation.  There  will  be  pain  in  the 


IQ2        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

back,  abdomen  and  hips,  accompanied  by  a  sense  of 
chilliness  more  or  less  severe.  This  will  be  followed  by 
fever,  pain  in  the  head,  pain  in  the  limbs,  general  languor, 
white  coat  upon  the  tongue,  and  a  persistent  pain  over 
the  region  of  the  uterus.  These  symptoms  would  suggest 
inflammation  of  the  uterus.  After  a  few  days  these 
symptoms  may  subside,  and  be  followed  by  a  re-establish- 
ment of  the  discharge,  or  they  may  gradually  disappear 
without  any  return  at  this  period  —  leaving  more  or  less 
discomfort  in  the  pelvis.  If  there  be  no  serious  disturb- 
ance of  the  uterine  organs,  the  menses  will  reappear  at 
the  next  period,  but  not  usually  with  that  freedom  and 
comfort  that  have  been  their  wont,  but  with  more  or  less 
pain,  which  may  be  manifest  at  each  successive  period. 

At  other  times  the  discharge  fails  entirely  to  appear 
at  the  appointed  time,  and  the  case  becomes  chronic,  and 
may  continue  for  a  length  of  time.  If  this  should  be  the 
case,  chronic  inflammation  of  the  uterus  or  womb  and 
ovaries  may  be  expected  as  a  result  of  the  acute  attack, 
and  from  a  reflex  sympathy,  resulting  from  a  morbid 
condition  of  these  organs.  The  stomach,  bowels,  and  all 
the  organs  connected  with  the  process  of  digestion,  are 
disturbed.  The  appetite  may  be  capricious.  The 
irritable  stomach  rejects  food,  or  may  be  troubled  by 
nausea  ;  the  heart  becomes  irregular  and  often  palpitates ; 
the  head  is  full  and  heavy,  and  often  painful,  especially  in 
the  upper  and  posterior  part ;  there  are  ringing  or  strange 
sounds  in  the  ears  ;  —  in  short  "  nothing  well,  but  every- 
thing sick. " 


AMENORRHEA,    ETC.      f  193 

Women  thus  affected  give  external  evidence  of  their 
condition  by  general  pallor  ;  their  faces  are  puffed,  their 
flesh  flabby  and  their  movements  languid  ;  they  easily 
become  the  prey  of  moral  influences,  and  are  "  blue  "  or 
melancholy.  This  depressed  or  debilitated  condition 
makes  patients  subject  to  such  disorders  as  neuralgia, 
hysterics,  hypochondria  and  dropsical  effusions,  either 
partial  or  general ;  the  latter  will  be  manifest  in  the  eye- 
lids, feet  and  other  places. 

Farther  delineation  of  symptoms  of  suppression  of 
menstruation  is  deemed  unnecessary,  since  from  what  has 
been  said,  and  the  natural  instinct  of  the  human  mind 
there  will  be  but  little  trouble  in  understanding  the  nature 
of  the  disease.  If  the  disease  continue  the  conse- 
quences are  generally  serious,  and  medical  aid  should 
be  solicited. 

This  character  of  menstrual  trouble  frequently  puts  a 
physician  in  an  uncomfortable  position  if  the  patient  be 
unmarried.  The  writer  has  frequently  been  called  to 
prescribe  for  patients  of  this  kind  where  it  was  their  hope 
that  he  migkt  overlook  the  real  cause  of  the  suppression 
and  administer  some  remedy  that  might  successfully 
relieve  their  real  trouble.  Some  patients  appear  to  be 
quite  ignorant  of  the  proper  treatment  of  suppression,  and 
hope  that  the  physician  may  prescribe  some  emenagogue 
sufficiently  active  to  produce  abortion.  If  this  be  a 
correct  suspicion  they  are  gravely  mistaken  in  the  ability 
of  the  profession.  There  is  no  reasonable  probability 
that  any  doctor  of  medicine  would  be  so  ignorant  as  to 
make  such  an  egregious  blunder. 


594  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Amenorrhea  is  not  necessarily  a  grave  affection  unless 
complicated  with  great  constitutional  disturbances  or 
dependent  upon  some  serious  cause.  It  is  usually  only  a 
-delay  and  can  be  easily  righted  with  proper  treatment. 

The  periodicals  of  the  day  abound  in  advertisements 
of  quack  nostrums  for  the  ready  relief  and  permanent  cure 
of  this  disease.  Against  the  use  of  such  remedies  the 
public  cannot  be  too  urgently  warned.  They  are  unsafe. 
No  woman  should  knowingly  allow  any  medicine  to  enter 
into  an  organ  of  such  importance  to  her  happiness  as  the 
stomach  without  either  understanding  something  about  it 
herself,  or  having  it  prescribed  by  some  -person  she 
knows,  and  in  whose  honesty  and  ability  she  has 
confidence. 

Hygiene   of  Suppressed    Menses. 

A  properly-regulated  regimen  will  do  much  not  only 
to  prevent  a,menorrhea,  but  will  contribute  largely  to  its 
•cure.  A  liberal,  good,  nourishing  diet  consisting  of 
•cream  and  all-wheat  porridge,  bread  abundantly  supplied 
with  good,  fresh  butter,  roast  and  boiled  meat,  will  be  a 
suitable  diet  for  patients  whose  suppression  depends  upon 
debility  and  lymphatic  temperament,  and  who  have  not 
been  well  nourished.  Baths,  with  free  frictions  over  the 
'body,  warm  clothing  and  appropriate  exercise,  especially 
•on  horseback,  will  contribute  largely  to  restore  the  lost 
powers  of  the  system  that  have  interrupted  the  natural 
functions  of  the  body.  A  trip  to  the  seashore  or  to  the 
mountain  with  pleasant  social  attendants,  and  with  a 


HYGIENE    OF   SUPPRESSED   MENSES.  195 

generous  diet,  have  often  proved  sufficient  to  restore  to  the 
sunken,  pallid  cheek  its  lost  size  and  color. 

There  is,  however,  another  class  of  subjects,  of  the 
strong,  sanguine  temperament,  whose  diet  should  consist 
of  bland,  light  nourishment.  Nothing  stimulating  either 
of  food  or  drink  should  be  taken,  and  the  patient  should 
have  complete  rest.  The  general  tendency  of  the  physi- 
cal economy  of  the  system  is  toward  restoration.  At  the 
same  time  proper  means  may  be  employed  to  assist  the 
patient  to  a  re-establishment  of  the  menses,  such  as  warm 
drinks  of  pennyroyal  or  ginger  tea,  and  warm  foot-baths 
or  hip-baths,  which  will  be  found  particularly  efficient. 
Such  treatment  is  attended  with  very  satisfactory  results, 
when  suppression  of  menstruation  has  been  induced  by 
exposure  to  cold  or  dampness,  or  arrested  perspiration. 

The  patient  should  be  put  to  bed  and  covered  with 
warm  blankets,  and,  if  general  and  free  perspiration  do 
not  soon  follow,  it  should  be  assisted  by  warm  irons, 
bricks,  or  what  is  still  better,  gum  (rubber)  bags  filled 
with  hot  water.  If  there  be  pain,  warm  compresses  wrung 
out  of  hot  water  should  be  applied  to  the  vulva  and  lower 
part  of  the  abdomen. 

If  the  suppression  be  caused  by  excessive  mental 
impressions  —  as  anger,  fright  or  grief — means  should  be 
instituted  to  allay  nervous  irritability  and  restore  harmony 
between  the  operations  of  the  mind  and  the  bodily  organs. 
This  will  usually  be  accomplished  by  a  general  warm  bath, 
with  gentle  friction  and  quiet. 

When  the  suppression  is  accompanied  with  excessive 


196  MAIDENHOOD  AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

pain,  a  sitz-bath,  warm  fomentations,  or  hot  poultices  and 
injections  of  large  quantities  of  hot  water  will  be  very  use- 
ful. When,  however,  the  suppression  is  the  result  of 
moral  causes,  a  wise  discrimination  on  the  part  of  both 
parents  and  physician  will  be  essentially  necessary  to 
overcome  the  accustomed  manner  of  life.  Until  this  be 
accomplished,  medication  will  generally  fall  short  of  effect- 
ing any  satisfactory  results  ;  in  such  cases,  change  of 
climate,  change  of  scenery  and  surroundings,  and  attract- 
ive places  of  amusement  will  be  found  fruitful  auxiliaries 
to  the  restoration  of  the  patient's  health. 

The  free  use  of  furruginous  waters  —  that  is,  waters 
impregnated  with  iron  —  sea  baths,  etc.,  will  be  well 
suited  to  the  lymphatic  temperament.  If  the  suppression 
be  caused  by  mental  excitement  in  love  affairs,  marriage 
will  be  found  a  satisfactory  means  of  permanent  relief. 

For  all  ordinary  cases  of  suppressed  menstruation,  a 
regular  action  of  the  bowels  should  be  had  once  or  twice 
daily  by  the  use  of  pills  made  of  equal  parts  of  myrrh  and 
aloes.  Tincture  of  iron  in  fifteen  to  twenty  drop  doses, 
three  or  four  times  daily,  between  the  periods  of  menstru- 
ation and  when  its  premonitory  symptoms  set  up,  warm 
baths  and  hot  teas,  as  has  already  been  suggested,  will,  if 
persisted  in,  be  followed  by  satisfactory  results. 

Nervine  root,  as  a  domestic  remedy  and  one  that  is 
quite  safe,  is  very  efficient.  Take  a  handful  of  the  root, 
cleanse  well,  bruise  and  boil  a  few  minutes  in  a  quart  of 
water,  and  let  the  patient  take  half  a  teacupful  of  the 
tea  three  or  four  times  a  day,  commencing  a  few  days 


MENORRHAGIA   OR   EXCESSIVE  MENSTRUATION.       197 

before  the  expected  time  for  the  menses  to  appear.  Or 
bitters  may  be  made  thus  :  A  good  handful  of  nervine 
root,  cleansed  well,  cut  in  small  pieces  and  bruised,  aloes 
one  ounce,  cinnamon  and  allspice,  of  each  half  an  ounce, 
nutmeg  one-quarter  ounce,  powdered  ;  whisky  one  quart ; 
let  the  mixture  stand  a  week,  and  take  a  dessert-spoonful 
three  times  daily.  If  the  bowels  should  be  too  loose, 
lessen  the  quantity,  or  increase  if  not  sufficiently  open. 
If  these  hygienic  directions  be  followed  and  aided  by  these 
simple  remedies,  and  success  do  not  crown  the  efforts, 
medical  counsel  should  at  once  be  secured. 

Menopphagia  OP  Excessive  Menstpuation. 

This  disease  has  three  phases;  menstruation  may  be 
too  profuse,  too  prolonged,  or  too  frequent. 

The  quantity  of  the  blood  lost  at  a  single  menstrual 
period  varies  largely  in  different  women,  and  sometimes 
in  the  same  woman.  What  would  be  excessive  for  one 
woman  would  not  be  more  than  normal  for  another. 
Every  woman  has  a  knowledge  of  her  average,  either  as 
regards  quantity  or  duration.  A  woman  may  be  said  to 
have  menorrhagia  whenever  she  discharges  more  in  the 
same  time  than  she  is  wont  to  do  ;  when  her  periodical 
flow  is  prolonged  beyond  the  usual  time  ;  and  when  it 
recurs  oftener  than  once  a  month,  the  waste  being  in 
excess  of  the  monthly  allowance. 

As  before  stated,  the  normal  period  of  menstruation  is 
once  every  four  weeks.  The  writer  has  known  a  'few 
persons,  in  the  enjoyment  of  fair  health,  who,  all  their 


198  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

menstrual  life,  flowed  every  three  weeks.  The  quantity 
lost  at  each  time  is  estimated  to  be  about  six  ounces,  and 
the  usual  duration  four  or  five  days.  But  quite  a  wide 
latitude  must  be  given  both  to  quantity  and  duration. 
The  writer  knew  a  widowed  lady,  the  mother  of  one 
child,  who  menstruated  regularly  every  twenty-eight 
days,  and  never  wasted  at  any  one  time  more  than  a  few 
drops,  barely  a  stain.  Should  this  woman  flow  as  much 
as  women  usually  do,  she  would  have  menorrhagia,  and 
would  require  attention  and  treatment. 

In  menorrhagia,  then,  the  quantity  must  be  an  unusual 
one  to  the  person  complaining,  as  some  women  discharge 
half  a  pint  regularly  and  enjoy  good  health.  The  normal 
quantity  in  each  individual  depends  upon  constitution  and 
temperament.  An  inordinate  discharge  depends  upon 
temperament,  and  a  free  and  strong  circulation.  Such 
temperaments  predispose  a  determination  of  blood  to  any 
organ  under  excessive  excitement.  Hence,  the  womb,  at 
the  menstrual  crisis,  would  fulfill  this  condition,  and  be 
subject  to  an  abundant  flow  of  menstrual  fluid.  An 
excessive  quantity,  however,  is  usually  dependent  upon  a 
debilitated  condition  of  the  system. 

There  is  another  class  of  patients  whose  passions  are 
strong  ;  on  being  exposed  to  over-excitement,  from  reflex 
action,  their  blood  might  determine  to  the  generative 
organs,  producing  a  degree  of  congestion  that  Nature 
would  relieve  by  excessive  menstruation.  A  state  of 
luxury,  indolence  and  indulgence  debilitates  the  system 
so  that  it  frequently  happens  that  persons  of  a 


MENORRHAGIA   OR   EXCESSIVE   MENSTRUATION.       199 

sanguine  temperament  are  comparatively  weaker  than 
others  who  possess  a  less  degree  of  constitutional  vitality.. 
In  such  cases  the  vital  powers  are  exhausted  by  same 
morbid  stimulus,  enfeebling  the  tissues,  producing  anemda,. 
which  results  in  an  unrestrained  flow  of  the  menstrual 
fluid.  Whenever,  therefore,  the  quantity  is  increased 
much  beyond  what  is  natural,  notwithstanding  a  sanguine 
temperament,  it  should  be  deemed  excessive  and  means 
adopted  for  restoration. 

Another  class  of  women  who  are  liable  to  menorrhagia 
are  the  nervous  and  irritable  ;  also  those  who  are  corpu- 
lent and  of  indolent  habits  and  live  in  warm  climates  or 
occupy  rooms  of  high  temperature,  have  a  predisposition 
to  this  variety  of  menstrual  disturbance. 

In  addition  to  the  foregoing  constitutional  tendency  to 
menorrhagia,  there  is  another  class  of  cases  that  may  be 
called  accidental  —  such  as  are  induced  by  exposure  to 
sudden  transitions  of  temperature,  violent  exercise  of  any- 
kind,  an  excessive  use  of  emenagogues  to  force  menstrua- 
tion, excessive  indulgence  in  either  eating  or  drinking,, 
ifting  heavy  weights,  falls,  frights,  or  undue  excitement 
of  the  passions. 

There  is  a  difference  of  opinion,  however,  among- 
authorities  as  to  the  direct  cause  of  menorrhagia.  Some 
mention  that  the  disease  is  local  and  not  constitutional, 
and  is  due  to  irritation  and  inflammation  of  the  womb  and 
ovaries.  The  morbid  sensitiveness,  weakness  and  other 
disturbances  present  are  not  causes,  but  consequences 
of  the  diseased  condition  induced  by  reflex  action.  Prof. 


200  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

Byford  says  "  that  it  would  seem  probable  that  menor- 
rhagia  would  be  the  rule  with  uterine  inflammation,  but 
such  is  not  the  case.  I  am  not  sure  that  even  a  majority 
of  patients  have  it. " 

Very  respectable  authorities  assert  that,  in  many 
instances,  the  disease  is  entirely  constitutional  and  not 
local.  This  seems  to  be  the  more  accurate  theory. 
Hence  it  is  quite  important  for  persons  suffering  this 
affliction  to  consult  a  physician,  who  may,  upon  due 
investigation,  determine  the  causp  in  the  case  before 
him. 

Women  frequently  suff-  r  from  hemorrhage  from  the 
uterus,  which  should  not  be  confounded  with  menor- 
rhagia,  since  both  are  accompanied  with  an  excessive  flow 
of  blood  from  the  birth-place.  These  long-continued, 
excessive  flows  of  blood,  accompanying  some  cases  of 
menorrhagia,  might  not  improperly  be  called  passive 
hemorrhage,  but  active  hemorrhage  may  take  place  in  any 
organ,  as  the  stomach,  lungs,  etc.,  and  is  quite  common 
from  the  uterus,  as  a  result  of  accidental  causes.  It  may 
be  induced  from  pregnancy,  abortion,  a  blow,  or  a  sharp 
instrument;  also,  by  polypus,  or  tumor,  cancer,  or  any 
serious  ulceration  of  the  womb.  Unlike  menorrhagia  it 
has  no  regular  period  of  occurrence  nor  of  cessation,  but 
will  continue  as  long  as  the  local  cause  producing  it 
remains.  Therefore  there  is  a  necessity  for  immediate 
interference,  as  a  human  life  may  be  in  jeopardy.  In 
menorrhagia,  the  waste  may  be  free  or  long-continued  and 
the  patient's  strength  largely  wasted  by  the  excessive 


HYGIENIC   TREATMENT.  2OI 

drain  upon  the  vital  fluid  of  the  system,  yet  there  is 
always  sufficient  time  for  the  administration  of  proper 
remedies  for  relief. 

Hygienic  Treatment. 

Hygienic  treatment  in  this  disease  is  of  great  impor- 
tance, and  should  be  administered  with  such  judgment  as 
to  meet  the  indications  in  each  particular  variety  of  con- 
stitutional cause.  If  the  patient  be  of  sanguine  tempera- 
ment and  the  cause  mental  excitement,  the  cause  should 
be  removed  and  quiet  and  unstimulating  food  be  enjoined. 
If  the  cause  arise  from  over-taxing  the  mind  by  excessive 
exertion  in  any  laudable  calling,  or  undue  ambition  to 
excel  in  any  department  of  study,  entire  remission  in  such 
pursuits  will  be  essentially  necessary.  If  the  mind  do 
not  rest,  but  be  kept  under  such  continual  exhaustion,  it 
will  lower  the  vital  forces  of  every  organ  of  the  body. 

Plethoric  persons  should  be  confined  to  a  vegetable 
diet  with  acidulated  drinks;  these  lessen  the  heart's  action 
and  relieve  the  pressure  of  blood  on  the  uterine  organs. 
If  the  menorrhagia  be  dependent  upon  anemia,  debility, 
or  any  exhausted  condition  of  the  system,  a  liberal 
dietary  exercise  adapted  to  the  debilitated  condition  of 
the  patient  and  proper  use  of  the  bath-room  should  be 
enjoined. 

Menorrhagia  resulting  from  inflammation  or  structural 
disease  of  the  womb  is  not  within  the  scope  of  this  work, 
butneed  only  be  referred  to,  that  the  patient  be  entreated, 
inasmuch  as  she  values  health,  that  she  should  consign 


2O2  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

herself  at  once  to  the  care  of  an  honest  and  intelligent 
physician,  giving  an  unreserved  account  of  all  she  knows 
of  the  origin  of  her  trouble,  thus  suitable  and  effective 
means  may  be  adopted  for  its  removal. 

Medical  Treatment. 

A  few  suggestions  in  reference  to  treatment  by  medi- 
cation are  all  that  need  be  given.  If  there  be  anemia  or 
debility,  tonics  are  indicated.  Tincture  of  iron  in  doses 
of  from  fifteen  to  twenty  drops  may  be  given  three  or 
four  times  daily,  with  a  pill  made  of  equal  parts  of  aloes 
and  myrrh. 

Fowler's  solution  of  arsenic  in  from  three  to  eight 
drop  doses,  will  be  found  an  invaluable  remedy,  taken 
three  times  daily,  if  it  does  not  materially  affect  the 
bowels.  Some  persons  are  very  susceptible  to  this  influ- 
ence of  the  remedy.  It  will  be  found  to  almost  always 
arrest  the  excessive  flow  in  any  variety  of  the  disease  if 
given  in  sufficient  quantity  and  oft-repeated.  But,  for 
this  method  of  administration,  it  is  too  potent  a  remedy 
to  be  entrusted  in  the  hands  of  the  inexperienced. 

•  If  the  skin  be  dry  and  the  wasting  profuse,  the  admin- 
istration of  eight  to  ten  grains  of  Dover's  powders  will  be 
attended  with  beneficial  results. 

Injections  of  cold  water,  or  alum  and  water,  in  pro- 
portions of  one  ounce  of  alum  to  one  pint  of  water,  and 
used  at  intervals  will  be  found  useful. 

Tea  made  of  cinnamon  bark  or  nutmeg,  which  can  be 
found    in   every   kitchen,    will    always    be   at    hand,    and 
frequently  does  much  good. 
5  (5  3  J  J 


DYSMENORRHEA   OR   PAINFUL   MENSTRUATION.      2O3 

Dysmenorrhea  on  Painful   Menstruation. 

Dysmenorrhea  is  one  of  the  most  trying  afflictions  to 
which  woman  is  subject.  It  is  attended  with  the  most 
intense  suffering  during  its  continuance,  and  the  memory 
of  it  is  carried  over  into  the  next  return.  The  suffering 
is  most  intense,  which  is  in  itself  a  sufficient  cause  for 
sympathy.  Its  periodicity  at  such  brief  intervals  and  for 
so  many  years  of  the  best  part  of  life,  is  agonizing  to 
contemplate.  No  one  but  the  patient  can  understand  the 
full  measure  of  the  pain  endured  at  such  times.  It  is  to 
be  deplored  that  with  all  the  advancement  of  medical 
science,  the  most  energetic  treatment  has  very  frequently 
proved  abortive.  However,  this  failure  may  be  the  result 
of  a  misconception  of  the  cause  of  the  difficulty.  Painful 
menstruation  can  no  more  be  reckoned  and  treated  as  an 
independent  disease  than  can  dropsy.  Both  are  but  the 
evidences  of  a  deeper  and  more  subtle  trouble. 

Congestion  or  inflammation  of  the  mucous  membrane 
of  the  uterus  is  attended  with  a  fibrous  exudation  which 
tenaciously  adheres  to  it.  This  exudation  often  thickens 
on  the  membrane  and  is  expelled  in  fragments  or  in  the 
shape  of  a  sack,  attended  with  bearing-down  pains  like 
those  of  child-birth.  When  the  adhesion  is  very  firm, 
the  uterus  will  contract  violently  and  spasmodically,  and 
for  hours  or  days  the  suffering  of  the  patient  will  be  most 
excruciating  ;  in  such  cases  pregnancy  is  nearly  impos- 
sible, but,  when  it  does  occur,  it  frequently  ends  the 
trouble. 


204  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Dysmenorrhea  is  occasionally  of  neuralgic  or  rheumatic 
origin,  or  due  to  nervous  irritability  of  the  womb,  the 
spasmodic  stricture  of  its  mouth  interfering  with  a  free 
flow  of  the  menstrual  fluid,  causing  partial  retention,  and 
giving  time  for  the  blood  to  coagulate,  each  coagulation 
having  to  be  thrust  out  by  the  contractile  force  of  the 
womb. 

Displacement  or  fluxion  of  the  womb,  tumors,  or  any 
mechanical  obstruction  may  make  menstruation  difficult 
and  painful.  Women  of  sanguine  and  nervous  tempera- 
ment are  predisposed  to  dysmenorrhea,  particularly  when 
they  indulge  in  indolence,  rich  food,  ardent  spirits,  wines, 
the  pleasures  of  the  sexes,  or  exposed  to  mental  impres- 
sions of  an  exciting  character.  It  is  mostly  a  disease  of 
unmarried  women,  and  marriage  frequently  cures  it. 

There  are  manifold  direct  and  accidental  causes  for 
this  affection.  Any  shock  of  the  system  may  induce  it  in 
subjects  predisposed  to  it.  Moral  disturbances,  sudden 
transitions  from  one  extreme  of  temperature  to  another, 
and  any  morbid  affection  of  other  organs,  are  causes  of 
this  complaint. 

The  symptoms  of  dysmenorrhea  are  usually  of  a  very 
violent  character.  They  frequently  commence  three  or 
four  days  before  menstruation,  and  continue  to  increase 
in  severity  until  the  flow  has  begun  fairly.  They  are 
aggravated  by  an  erect  position.  The  patient  complains 
of  pain  in  the  back,  extending  to  the  groins,  and  pains  all 
over  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  radiating  frequently 
down  the  thighs.  These  pains  may  at  first  be  sharp  and 


DYSMENORRHEA   OR   PAINFUL   MENSTRUATION.      2O5 

cutting,  but  gradually  assume  a  colicky  or  spasmodic 
character.  The  blood,  or  menses,  flows  slowly.  It  may 
only  be  a  mere  stain  upon  the  napkin;  sometimes,  how- 
ever, it  is  discharged  in  clots  ;  at  other  times,  in 
membranous  shreds  or  fragments. 

In  some  persons  the  excitement  is  very  great,  and  not 
infrequently  produces  hysteria  or  even  convulsions.  At 
such  periods  of  excitement  the  breasts  swell  and  become 
painful.  The  abdomen  is  frequently  distended  by  gasses, 
accompanied  by  a  sense  of  heat  extending  over  the  soft 
parts  and  into  the  vagina.  The  bladder  at  times  sym- 
pathizes with  this  general  disturbance,  and  then  there  may 
be  a  frequent  desire  to  pass  urine,  which  is  accompanied 
with  a  burning  or  scalding  sensation. 

These  symptoms  are  sometimes  only  premonitory  and 
cease  as  soon  as  the  flow  is  established,  but,  more  fre- 
quently, especially  if  the  discharge  is  not  free,  they 
continue,  and  are  even  intensified  for  several  hours.  They 
may  not  disappear  until  the  end  of  the  discharge.  The 
flow  is  usually  irregular,  at  times. quite  slight.  It  may, 
for  a  short  period,  entirely  cease,  at  which  time  the  pain 
is  intensified  and  is  followed  by  excessive  wasting. 
Especially  is  this  the  case  in  women  of  highly-nervous 
temperament.  In  some  women  a  free  flow  arrests  the 
pain  instantly.  In  very  young  girls,  little  can  be  done  in 
a  curative  way  until  the  womb  is  more  fully  developed. 
Its  cavity  is  quite  small  and  is  distended  by  a  small 
quantity  of  blood,  which  distention  produces  the  pain. 

When  dysmenorrhea  recurs  at  each  menstrual  period 


2O6  MAIDENHOOD    AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

for  a  long  time,  disorganization  may  be  gradually  induced 
and  permanent  disease  established,  unless  proper  and 
effective  means  be  used  to  restore  the  parts  to  a  healthy 
condition.  Pathologists  differ  somewhat  in  regard  to  the 
cause  of  this  painful  malady.  That  as  clear  a  view  as  is 
proper  within  the  limit  of  a  work  of  this  kind  may  be  had, 
the  complaint  will  be  divided  into  classes,  the  leading 
characteristics  of  each  being  given. 

Simple  Dysmenonrhea. 

Simple  dysmenorrhea  is  not  complicated.  It  is  either 
nervous  or  neuralgic,  and  is  due  to  the  morbid  sensitive- 
ness of  either  the  uterus  or  ovaries.  It  is  aggravated  by 
mental  excitement,  exposure  to  extremes  of  temperature, 
fatigue,  rheumatism,  etc.  A  prominent  characteristic 
symptom  is  great  tenderness  over  the  abdominal  region, 
so  that,  upon  the  slightest  pressure  of  the  hand  or  clothing, 
the  pain  is  intensified.  At  the  approach  of  the  menstrual 
period  there  is  a  sense  of  weight  or  fullness,  with  bearing 
down.  Pain,  more  or  less  severe,  is  felt  shooting  into  the 
bladder  or  rectum.  When  the  flow  commences  the  pain 
often  increases  and  becomes  spasmodic,  amounting  to 
cramp. 

A  young  woman,  while  suffering  extremely  from  such 
paroxysms,  once  told  the  writer  :  "  I  would  rather  have  a 
baby  than  suffer  in  this  way."  Usually,  in  the  course  of 
a  few  hours,  the  menstrual  flow  being  fully  established, 
the  pains  subside  gradually,  to  the  great  relief  of  the 
patient.  Occasionally  they  continue  through  the  whole 


ACCIDENTAL  DYSMENORRHEA.  2O/ 

period.  During  the  intervals  of  her  "  periods,"  she  feels 
entirely  well,  with  no  sensitiveness  of  the  parts.  This 
proves  that  there  is  no  local  inflammation.  In  short,  the 
characteristic  symptoms  of  this  class  are  the  suddenness  of 
the  attack,  its  severity  and  paroxysmal  character,  and  its 
recurrence  month  after  month  without  affecting  the  general 
health. 

Accidental    Dysmenorrhea. 

The  accidental  form  is  usually  of  little  importance, 
being  the  result  of  improprieties  in  hygiene  on  the  part  of 
the  woman,  either  immediately  before  or  at  the  time  of 
menstruation  ;  exposure  to  cold,  or  by  getting  the  feet 
wet,  or,  with  some,  even  putting  the  hands  in  cold  water. 
Over-fatigue  or  excitement  will  induce  painful  menstrua- 
tion, but  the  patient  will  be  all  right  the  next  period. 

Congestive    Dysmenopphea. 

The  congestive  form  may  be  easily  distinguished  from 
the  others  by  irregular  discharges,  voided  in  clots  of 
blood  —  congestion  in  an  excessive  degree  only,  for 
limited  congestion  is  the  cause  of  any  flow,  so  the  menses 
are  the  necessary  result  of  congestion.  In  this  variety, 
the  blood-vessels  are  excessively  enlarged,  causing  pain 
and  nervous  sensibility,  which  may  be  brief  but  neverthe- 
less severe.  This  extreme  nervous  irritability  may  induce 
vomiting,  convulsions,  or  hysteria,  which  subside  as  soon 
as  the  flow  is  sufficient  to  relieve  the  distention  of  the 
blood-vessels. 


208  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 


Inflammatory  Dysmenornhea. 

Another  variety  is  called  inflammatory.  This  may  be 
taken  to  include  membranous,  though  the  latter  is  treated 
by  some  authorities  as  a  distinct  class.  But,  as  the  symp- 
toms of  both  are  the  same  —  pain  and  fever  —  and  affect 
the  same  organs,  they  can  appropriately  be  considered  as 
one.  This  variety  is  not  constitutional,  but  arises  from 
inflammation  of  the  ovaries  and  uterus.  It  rarely  com- 
mences at  puberty,  like  the  constitutional,  but  occurs  at 
any  time  in  married  and  unmarried  women.  Whenever 
that  morbid  condition  of  the  womb  and  ovaries  exists,  the 
suffering  continues  during  the  whole  period  of  the  men- 
strual flow,  and  leaves  the  parts  tender  for  a  time  after  it 
ceases. 

The  whole  system  sympathizes  with  this  local  inflam- 
mation and  increase  of  temperature,  accompanied  with 
additional  febrile  symptoms,  languor  and  anemia  follow, 
giving  a  general  and  continued  evidence  of  physical 
deterioration.  The  flow  is  accompanied  with  membranous 
shreds.  Sometimes  the  membrane  will  be  discharged  in 
the  form  of  a  sack,  or  cast  from  the  cavity  of  the  uterus 
without  losing  its  shape  or  integrity.  The  discharge  is 
accompanied  with  sjevere  pain.  At  other  times  there  will 
be  present  all  the  inflammatory  symptoms,  but  none  of  the 
shreds  will  be  seen  in  the  discharge. 

Obstructive  Dysmenorrhea. 

The  obstructive  variety  is  the  result  of  physical  defect 
i-n  the  uterine  neck,  such  as  constrictive  deformities  of 


OBSTRUCTIVE   DYSMENORRHEA.  2O9 

structure,  or  malposition  of  the  womb  ;  thickening  of  the 
mucous  membrane,  resulting  from  previous  and  repeated 
inflammations,  adhesions,  tumors,  and  closure  of  the 
vagina.  The  symptoms  of  this  variety  do  not  materially 
differ  from  the  others,  the  characteristic  symptoms  being 
excruciating  pain  of  an  expulsive  character.  The  pain  is 
compared  to  colic,  the  term  uterine  colic  being  very 
appropriate. 

If  obstructive  dysmenorrhea  be  suspected,  a  skillful 
physician  should  be  called,  that  a  thorough  examination 
of  the  uterus  and  its  surroundings  may  be  made.  Should 
it  be  caused  by  a  tumor,  the  enlargement  may  be  detected 
through  the  abdominal  walls.  Displacement  of  the  womb 
may  be  suspected  if  there  be  pain  in  the  back,  sensation 
of  bearing  down,  desire  to  void  water,  and  voiding  with 
difficulty,  or  constant  ineffectual  desire  to  evacuate  the 
bowels.  Entire  closure  of  the  passage  may  be  suspected 
if  all  the  suffering  and  pain  of  dysmenorrhea  be  experi- 
enced without  any  discharge  of  menstrual  fluid. 

Some  other  varieties  of  dysmenorrhea  are  given  by 
authors,  but  they  are  not  of  sufficient  importance  to  intro- 
duce here.  The  above  will  suffice  to  illustrate  the  nature 
and  gravity  of  the  disease,  and  to  prevent  serious  conse- 
quences arising  from  the  neglect  of  efforts  to  prevent  the 
mildest  form.  An  unwarranted  modesty  should  not 
prevent  the  patient  from  calling  a  physician,  and  submit- 
ting to  such  examination  as  may  be  necessary  to  as  fully 
as  possible  discover  the  real  cause,  that  proper  remedial 
means  may  be  adopted  for  complete  relief. 


2IO  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

It  will  be  evident,  from  what  has  been  said,  that 
dysmenorrhea,  in  some  of  its  forms  at  least,  is  no  trifling 
ailment,  although  it  does  not  frequently  jeopardize  life. 
Many  patients  will  tell  you  that  if  they  could  only  die  it 
would  be  a  pleasure  ;  that  the  thought  of  living  only  to 
endure  such  suffering  every  few  weeks  is  uneifdurable. 

Hygiene. 

There  is  no  disease  where  the  rules  of  hygiene  should 
be  more  strictly  observed  than  in  this,  the  beneficial  effects 
being  always  apparent.  Every  possible  means  should  be 
used  that  will  assist  in  the  proper  and  healthy  establish- 
ment of  the  menstrual  function  in  young  girls.  If  this 
process  begins  with  pain,  they  should  be  taken  from 
school,  or  any  other  place  of  confinement,  and  from  all 
excitement  and  mental  labor.  They  should  be  allowed 
perfect  freedom  of  the  open  air,  with  suitable  and  healthy 
amusements.  The  diet  should  be  light,  nutritious,  and 
largely  vegetable.  The  strictest  precaution  should  be 
taken  to  see  that  the  bowels  be  evacuated  every  day. 
Constipation  is  at  no  time  in  harmony  with  health,  and 
frequently  the  cause  of  disorder. 

It  is  not  uncommon  for  mothers  to  seek  relief  for  their 
daughters  by  the  free  use  of  alcoholic  stimulants.  This 
practice  is  not  safe.  It  is  dangerous,  if  it  be  a  case  of 
inflammatory  dysmenorrhea.  The  stimulant  only  adds 
fuel  to  the  fire.  If  there  be  much  obstruction  it  can  do 
no  good,  and  much  harm  may  result  if  an  undue  appetite 
be  created  for  this  kind  of  indulgence. 


.HYGIENE.  211 

Stimulants,  no  doubt,  may  relieve  in  the  neuralgic 
variety,  but,  inasmuch  as  they  do  not  cure,  and  may  do 
much  harm,  it  would  be  better  to  consult  a  physician,  so 
that  an  intelligent  line  of  treatment  may  be  adopted  and 
carried  into  execution. 

Opiates  are  frequently  resorted  to  for  this  painful 
trouble.  These,  administered  intelligently,  are  a  great 
blessing  in  freeing  the  sufferer  from  such  intense  pain.  If 
they  be  indiscriminately  used,  at  all  times,  they  are 
fraught  with  serious  consequences.  If  the  habit  of  opium- 
eating  should  be  established  by  such  frequent  resort  to  it, 
the  result  would  be  that  the  cure  would  be  worse  than 
the  disease.  The  writer  has  been  hailed  as  the  messenger 
of  peace  when  he  had  administered  about  half  a  drachm 
of  bromide  of  potassium  by  the  mouth  and  from  one-half 
to  one-third  grain  of  morphine  hypodermically. 

A  very  efficient  remedy  for  much  of  the  trouble  in  this 
affection  will  be  found  in  one-drachm  doses  of  equal  parts 
of  the  fluid  extract  of  blackhaw  and  Jamaica  dogwood, 
repeated  every  three  or  four  hours. 

Expectancy,  no  doubt,  exerts  a  powerful  influence  over 
this,  as  well  as  many  other  diseases.  Not  long  since  the 
writer  was  called  to  the  bedside  of  a  young  woman  raised 
in  easy  life,  who  had  suffered  more  or  less  pain  at  every 
menstrual  period  for  a  year  or  more,  and  whose  symptoms 
increased  in  severity  at  each  change,  until  the  pain  resisted 
not  only  all  the  remedies  that  had  before  in  some 
measure  soothed  it,  but  was  altogether  unbearable.  After 
he  had  failed  to  give  relief  with  the  sitz-bath  and  continued 


212  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

injections  of  hot  water  (both  of  which  he  has  found  fre- 
quently very  beneficial),  he  resorted  to  the  morphine  and 
potassia,  as  above  recommended,  and  soon  the  patient 
was  happy.  At  the  time  of  the  next  period  she  was  very 
anxious  to  take  a  trip  in  company  with  a  friend  to  the 
State  Fair,  and  visit  her  brother,  who  lived  in  the  same 
city  where  the  fair  was  held,  but  her  menses,  which  were 
to  occur  at  that  time,  appeared  to  be  an  insurmountable 
barrier.  Hence,  she  called  on  her  physician  to  inquire  if 
she  could  not  carry  one  of  those  potions  with  her,  and 
take  it  at  the  approach  of  the  pain.  Seeing  her  anxiety 
to  make  the  trip,  a  potion  was  prepared,  mixing  together 
the  ingredients  for  convenience.  The  next  day  after  her 
arrival  at  the  fair,  while  she  was  busying  herself  to  see  all 
that  was  possible  before  her  expected  sickness,  she  was 
happily  surprised  to  find  herself  menstruating,  with  no 
pain,  and  no  need  to  take  her  medicine.  The  exercise, 
with  the  diversion  of  the  mind  from  her  expected  trouble, 
had  much  to  do  in  giving  her  entire  freedom  from  pain. 

It  is  observed  that  this  disease  occurs  much  more  fre- 
quently among  women  who  live  in  comparative  ease  than 
with  those  who  have  plenty  of  exercise  in  the  open  air, 
and  busy  themselves  temperately  in  household  duties. 
Young  women,  daughters  of  men  of  means  who  have 
servants  to  attend  to  all  the  household  duties,  dress  them- 
selves in  close-fitting  attire,  perhaps  two  or  three  times 
daily,  with  an  underdress  (or  corset)  too  tightly  laced,  that 
presses  on  the  abdomen,  impeding  the  circulation  of  the 
blood  so  important  to  the  organs  contained  therein, 


DISEASES   FROM   DERANGEMENT   OF    MENSTRUATION.    213 

reducing  the  cavity  and  forcing  the  bowels  down  upon 
the  delicate  organs  of  generation.  In  this  condition  they 
sit  about  on  low  chairs,  that  have  a  tendency  to  increase 
the  pressure.  Is  it  a  surprise  to  find  so  many  of  them 
afflicted  with  some  species  of  female  trouble  ? 

Diseases   From    Derangement  of    Menstruation. 

The  establishment  of  the  menses  is  frequently  subject 
to  the  derangements  of  which  mention  has  been  made. 
This  development  sometimes  gives  rise  to  certain  diseases 
peculiar  to  women  and  to  this  function.  Among  these 
diseases  may  be  named  chlorosis  or  green  sickness,  chorea 
or  St.  Vitus'  dance,  hysteria,  etc.  A  brief  consideration 
of  these  may  be  given  here. 

Chlorosis  is  not  properly  a  disease  of  the  generative 
organs  of  women,  and  would  not  be  entitled  to  a  place  in 
this  volume  were  it  not  that  amenorrhea,  or  suppressed 
menses,  is  connected  with  it.  Its  principal  characteristics 
are  intense  paleness  of  the  skin,  lips  and  lining  membrane 
of  the  eyelids.  It  is  a  paleness  having  a  greenish  hue 
(from  which  the  disease  takes  its  name).  At  times  the 
color  is  yellow,  when  it  is  mistaken  for  jaundice.  The 
manifest  and  peculiar  paleness  of  the  lips  and  of  the  mem- 
brane over  the  eyeball,  is  a  most  infallible  evidence  of 
this  condition. 

The  disease  is  characterized  by  a  lack  of  the  red  glob- 
ules in  the  blood,  and  transfusion  of  the  watery  portion 
through  the  veins  into  the  skin,  causing  dropsy  of  the 
face,  feet,  and  body.  It  is  the  dropsical  condition  that 


214  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

gives  the  puffy  appearance.  This  disease,  when  long 
continued,  gradually  weakens  the  patient,  whose  system, 
under  the  general  anemia  becomes  deranged.  The 
appetite  is  lost  or  perverted  to  a  desire  for  strange  things, 
such  as  slate-pencils,  chalk,  clay,  salt,  vinegar  or  pickles. 
Then  a  sensation  of  weight  oppresses  the  stomach  ;  diges- 
tion is  retarded,  giving  rise  to  evolution  and  belching  of 
gas  ;  the  respiration  becomes  labored,  and  palpitation  of 
the  heart  is  induced  by  the  slightest  exercise  or  mental 
excitement.  This  low  condition  predisposes  the  patient 
to  neuralgia,  which  may  affect  the  head,  the  neck,  the 
eyes  and  the  back  or  any  other  part  of  the  body. 

Various  theories  have  been  advanced  by  pathologists 
regarding  the  exact  nature  of  the  disease.  They  agree 
that  the  absence  of  menstruation  is  not  so  much  the  cause 
as  the  consequence  of  disease.  Although  chlorosis  gen- 
erally occurs  at  puberty,  yet  it  may  affect  those  who  have 
menstruated,  and  even  married  women. 

The  disease  is  generally  curable,  particularly  in  women 
of  good  constitutions  who  have  usually  enjoyed  healthy 
food  and  pure  air.  The  danger  lies  in  the  organic  diseases 
that  may  follow  :  Valvular  diseases  of  the  heart,  dropsy, 
paralysis,  hemorrhages  and  consumption.  The  establish- 
ment of  the  menses  is  the  most  reliable  sign  of  the  return 
of  strength  and  health  and  of  complete  recovery. 

Among  the  most  common  causes  of  chlorosis  are  great 
mental  anxiety,  overwork  in  the  school-room,  lack  of  open- 
air  exercise,  etc.  Let  these  causes  be  removed  by  proper 
hygienic  regulations.  As  the  disease  is  largely  nervous, 


CHOREA,    OR   ST.    VITUS*   DANCE.  21$ 

the  remedies  should  be  applied  in  this  direction.  It  is  a 
complaint  which  is  hardly  susceptible  of  self-cure.  •  Com- 
petent medical  counsel  should  be  sought  and  followed. 

Chorea,  OP   St.  Vitus'   Dance. 

The  disease  known  as  St.  Vitus'  Dance  received  its  name 
from  a  dancing  mania  that  prevailed  in  Strasburg,  A.  D. 
1418,  at  a  celebration  of  St.  Vitus,  in  which  the  people 
commenced  to  dance  to  music  and  continued  until 
completely  overcome  by  fatigue.  However,  chorea  seems 
to  be  a  different  disease  from  that  which  so  suddenly 
developed  at  the  celebration  referred  to,  and  is  of  more 
recent  date. 

It  consists  in  a  tendency  to  involuntary  and  irregular 
muscular  contractions  of  the  limbs  and  face,  the  mind  and 
the  functions  of  the  brain  being  quite  unaffected.  The 
spasms  of  chorea  differ  from  those  of  most  other 
convulsive  affections  in  being  unaccompanied  by  pain  or 
rigidity.  They  are  but  momentary,  jerking  movements, 
indicating  rather  a  want  of  control  of  the  will  over  the 
muscles  than  any  real  excess  of  their  contraction. 

In  some  cases  the  disease  resembles  merely  an  exag- 
geration of  the  restlessness  and  fidgetiness  common  among 
children.  In  others  it  goes  so  far  as  to  be  a  very  serious 
malady,  and  may  even  threaten  life.  Fatal  cases  are  fortu- 
nately very  rare,  and  in  a  large  majority  of  instances  it 
yields  readily  to  treatment  carefully  pursued,  or  disappears 
spontaneously  as  the  patient  grows  up. 

Chorea    is    a    disease   much    more    common    among 


2l6  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

children  and  young  persons  than  after  maturity.  Ninety 
per  cent,  of  all  the  cases  occur  under  twenty  years  of  age. 
The  ratio  in  sex  is  three  girls  to  one  boy.  This  shows  its 
relation  to  nervous  influence.  It  is  most  common 
between  ten  and  fifteen  years  of  age,  which  is  an  evidence 
of  its  being  to  some  extent  influenced  by  the  establish- 
ment of  menstruation.  It  is  more  common  in  northern 
than  southern  climates,  and  is  rarely  seen  among  persons 
of  purely  African  blood.  This  would  indicate  that  a  cold, 
changeable  climate  is  productive  of  this  disease,  as  is  also 
a  fine  nervous  temperament,  which  is  rarely  met  in  the 
pure  African. 

The  causes  influencing  the  disease  are  high-sexual 
development,  nervous  temperament,  sudden  fright, 
suppression  of  any  customary  discharge,  uterine  disorders 
and  intestinal  worms.  Some  children  appear  to  get  it  by 
sympathy  for  other  persons  suffering  from  its  attacks  or 
from  imitating  them.  Rheumatism  is  said  to  be  a  cause, 
but  this  is  without  foundation.  Cases  where  chorea  is 
associated  with  rheumatism  would  be  better  called  a 
rheumatic  affection  of  the  spinal  cord. 

Symptoms   of  Chorea. 

The  system  may  or  may  not  be  deranged.  Most  cases 
begin  gradually  by  want  of  good  digestion.  Capricious- 
ness,  headache,  low  spirits,  timidity,  irritable  temper  and 
an  inability  to  sleep  well  are  premonitory  symptoms. 
Then  begin  slight  jerkings  of  the  muscles  of  the  mouth 
and  head  ;  then  the  tongue  is  affected  and  speech  becomes 


SYMPTOMS   OF   CHOREA.  2I/ 

impossible  from  spasms  of  the  tongue  and  muscles  of  the 
lower  jaw.  By  and  by  the  patient  is  wholly  choreic  by 
involvement  of  all  the  muscles  of  the  body.  He  is  rest- 
less and  unable  to  stand  still.  Muscular  co-ordination  is 
impaired,  from  which  the  limbs  are  not  subject  to  the  will. 
The  upper  limbs  are  more  affected  than  the  lower  ones. 

There  is  general  debility  which  aggravates  the  symp- 
toms. In  bad  cases  the  erect  posture  cannot  be  main- 
tained. Later,  the  muscles  of  the  trunk  are  involved,  and 
the  patient  cannot  be  kept  in  bed.  Spasms  of  the  muscles 
of  the  face  occasion  grimaces.  Nevertheless  the  spasms 
are  somewhat  under  the  control  of  the  will,  for  the  spas- 
modic movements  may  be  stopped  by  a  strong  effort  of 
the  will.  The  spasms  cease  entirely  during  sleep.  Occa- 
sionally the  choreic  movements  are  confined  to  one  side 
of  the  body. 

In  aggravated  cases  there  is  general  nervous  debility. 
The  mind  becomes  affected  and  imbecility  may  set  in,  or 
else  the  patient  becomes  very  timid  and  seeks  holes  and 
closets  to  get  out  of  sight.  Chorea  is  generally  an  acute 
disease.  It  rises  to  a  certain  point,  remains  stationary, 
and  spontaneously  declines,  with  a  tendency  to  recover. 
Some  cases  last  only  a  few  days  ;  exceptional  cases  last 
for  years.  When  it  develops  in  pregnancy,  parturition 
generally  stops  it.  If  it  occur  in  a  girl  at  puberty,  it  gen- 
erally disappears  on  the  establishment  of  the  menses;  if 
on  account  of  suppression  of  menstruation  from  cold  or 
any  accidental  cause,  it  usually  subsides  on  the  re-establish- 
ment of  the  flow. 


2l8  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 


Treatment  of  Chorea. 

Many  doctors  do  not  place  any  reliance  upon  medica- 
tion, but  try  to  remove  the  cause.  An  effort  should  be 
made  to  re-establish  a  normal  condition  of  health  in  all  the 
functions  of  the  body.  When  this  point  is  reached  the 
disease  disappears.  The  rules  for  hygiene  should  be 
assiduously  enforced.  A  shower  bath  to  the  spine,  and 
artificial  or  natural  sulphur  baths  and  sea-bathing  are  use- 
ful. Gymnastic  exercise  will  have  a  beneficial  effect  in 
tending  to  correct  irregular  movement  of  the  muscles  and 
tone  them  up,  if  often  and  regularly  persevered  in,  but  not 
carried  to  the  extent  of  fatigue. 

The  digestive  organs  should  be  carefully  watched. 
There  should  be  a  liberal  supply  of  easily-digested,  good, 
nutritious  food.  Milk  laxatives,  repeated  at  intervals, 
have  been  found  curative  in  cases  where  there  has  been 
defective  hygienic  conditions  —  as  constipation,  loss  of 
appetite,  or  worms.  If  worms  be  suspected,  the  addition 
of  turpentine  to  the  laxative  will  be  found  serviceable. 
Whether  purgation  should  be  active  or  light  depends  on 
circumstances.  The  bitter  purgatives  are  best. 

The  debilitated  condition  of  the  nervous  system  will 
demand  attention,  and  effectual  means  should  be  adopted 
for  its  restoration.  If  the  patient  be  pale  and  apparently 
bloodless,  the  preparations  of  iron  will  be  found  useful  in 
restoring  the  equilibrium  of  the  blood  corpuscles.  The 
preparations  of  iron  may  be  combined  with  the  vegetable 
bitters,  as  gentian,  calumba,  etc.  To  allay  the  spasm. 


HYSTERIA.  219 

ether  may  be  applied  to  the  spine  by  an  atomizer  till  the 
skin  becomes  white,  but  not  frozen.  Currents  of  elec- 
tricity of  low  intensity  are  good. 

Hysteria. 

Hysteria  has  long  been  used  as  the  name  of  the  malady 
that  is  to  be  described,  but  there  is  no  appropriateness  or 
significance,  nor  does  it  reveal  anything  of  its  history. 
Hysteria  literally  signifies  womb,  and  received  its  name 
because,  like  the  organ,  it  is  peculiar  to  women  (which  is 
denied  by  some)  and  is  generally  met  during  the  develop- 
ment of  the  uterine  functions.  It  rarely  happens  before 
puberty  or  after  mature  womanhood. 

The  disease  is  but  little  understood  by  people  generally, 
presenting  as  it  does  such  diverse  manifestations.  Patients 
suffering  from  it  are  deserving  of  commiseration  and  kind- 
ness both  from  physician  and  friends.  In  some  patients 
it  causes  merriment ;  in  others,  sorrow  ;  in  sbme,  venera- 
tion ;  in  others,  contempt. 

How  humiliating  it  must  be  to  a  girl  when  she  realizes 
that  some  power,  acting  independently  of  herself,  is 
causing  her  to  laugh  when  she  ought  to  weep,  or  weep 
when  she  ought  to  laugh.  She  has  no  command  over 
herself,  the  body  acting  in  utter  disobedience  to  the  will. 
Imagine  a  young  woman  talking  immoderately  in  situa- 
tions where  prudence  and  modesty  demand  that  she 
should  keep  silent ;  or  revelling  in  fits  of  ecstacy  when 
soberness  would  be  more  appropriate  ;  or  writhing  and 
twisting  and  exposing  her  person,  putting  at  defiance 


22O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

both  modesty  and  self-regard.  She  suffers  at  times  with 
severe  pains,  intensified  by  the  slightest  movement,  or  it 
may  be  an  entire  want  of  feeling,  accompanied  by  utter 
inability  to  move  a  single  muscle  in  some  parts  of  the 
body,  followed  by  the  consoling  remark,  by  physician  or 
friend,  "  It  is  simply  hysteria  !  " 

How  uncomfortable  must  be  the  sensation  of  a  ball 
rolling  up  the  throat,  as  if  to  choke  one  to  death!  At 
other  times,  every  muscle  of  the  body  contracting,  forcing 
the  movement  of  the  limbs  with  such  energy  as  to  defy 
the  resistance  of  able  attendants,  and  then,  in  a  moment, 
a  body  motionless  and  still  as  death.  Through  all  the 
changes,  the  pulsation  of  the  heart,  the  great  master- wheel 
of  life,  moves  as  smoothly  and  beats  as  calmly  as  if 
nothing  were  wrong. 

Such  are  some  of  the  manifestations  of  this  wonderful 
affection  called,  for  the  lack  of  another  name,  "  Hysteria." 
Its  symptoms  are  so  varied  that  a  whole  book  might  be 
written  giving  their  descriptions.  Yet,  with  all  the 
patient's  suffering  from  the  effects  of  this  disease,  she 
receives  no  sympathy  from  friends  or  neighbors,  simply 
because  the  disease  does  not  kill.  Is  it  true  that  the  only 
type  of  disease  that  should  evoke  our  sympathy  and 
demand  our  commiseration  for  its  victim  is  one  that  kills? 
How  many  poor  human  beings,  in  extreme  anguish  with 
this  peculiar  affection,  are  made  to  suffer  still  more 
intensely  by  the  unfeeling  reminder  that  it  does  not  kill  ! 
How  many  have  been  heard  to  say:  "  Oh,  if  it  would  only 
kill,  so  that  I  might  have  some  hope  of  emancipation  from 


HYSTERIA.  221 

this  unfeeling  task-master,  it  would  be  a  source  of  some 
pleasure,  but  to  think  I  can't  ever  die,  distresses  my  very 
soul  !  " 

Perhaps  no  disease  in  the  whole  catalogue  of  ailments 
has  been  so  full  of  pathological  perplexity  as  hysteria. 
Little  is  known  of  it,  although  it  is  prevalent  in  most 
countries,  and  presents  a  wide  variety  of  symptoms.  In 
the  early  history  of  pathology  the  uterus  was  believed  to 
be  an  animal,  and  hysteria  was  supposed  to  be  the 
wanderings  and  vagaries  of  that  animal  within  the  body, 
as  if  in  a  frolic.  But,  in  the  later  development  of 
pathology,  numberless  theories  were  advanced  without 
reaching  any  conclusion  that  was  free  from  unanswerable 
objections. 

Some  hold  the  opinion  that  it  is  the  result  of  a  morbid 
condition  of  the  uterine  nerves  ;  others  attribute  it  to  a 
morbid  condition  of  the  stomach  and  bowels  ;  others  to  a 
congested  condition  of  the  lungs  and  heart  ;  to  spinal 
irritation ;  to  cerebral  excitement ;  to  displacements  of  the 
womb,  or  any  serious  lesion  of  that  organ,  or  any  disturb- 
ance of  its  functions.  It  is  not  our  purpose  to  enter  into 
a  pathological  discussion  of  this  mysterious  phenomenon, 
but  only  to  give  some  evidence  of  its  differential  effects 
upon  subjects.  Although  this  malady  is  found  among  all 
classes  of  women,  and  but  rarely  among  men,  and  then 
only  in  a  mild  form,  it  is  seldom  met  among  the  working 
classes.  Its  principal  sphere  of  action  is  among  persons 
who  lead  an  indolent  life.  The  predisposing  constitutional 
conditions  of  hysteria  are  temperament,  especially  the 
nervous,  and  such  as  are  either  lazy  or  feeble. 


222  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Hysterical  patients  are  largely  developed  among  those 
girls  in  whom  Nature  is  making  an  effort  to  establish  the 
menstrual  epoch.  From  this  experience,  no  doubt,  the 
theory  was  evolved  that  the  disease  had  its  origin  in  the 
reproductive  organs.  The  disease  may  be  attributable  to 
extremes  of  heat  or  cold,  and  dampness  ;  to  violent 
exercise  or  fatigue  ;  to  irritating  articles  of  diet  and 
spices  ;  to  tight-lacing  ;  to  too-frequent  ablutions  of  water; 
to  [love  or  jealousy  ;  and  to  disappointment,  especially  in 
love  affairs.  The  more  immediate  causes  are  fright, 
anger,  reproach,  violent  and  sudden  affliction,  improper 
conversations,  the  sight  of  repulsive  objects,  sudden  joy, 
the  unexpected  appearance  of  an  object  of  love  or  hatred, 
or  irritating  applications  to  the  skin.  From  a  moral 
standpoint  hysteria  is  infectious,  and  should  it  in  a  com 
pany  of  women  seize  one  individual,  more  may  be 
similarly  affected.  Indeed  it  is  surprising,  when  it  breaks 
out  in  a  boarding-school,  to  see  the  large  number  that 
may  be  attacked.  It  is  recorded,  upon  good  authority, 
that  a  certain  boarding-school  had  to  be  suspended  and 
the  girls  sent  home  on  account  of  the  moral  effect  of  the 
development  of  the  disease  in  a  girl  in  the  presence  of  the 
class. 

Persons  most  likely  to  be  affected  by  this  disease 
manifest  all  the  traits  of  a  very  impressionable  nature. 
They  are  light,  frivolous,  and  very  friendly  to  their  own 
opinion,  often  fanciful  and  hasty,  and  in  disposition  very 
changeable.  They  easily  pass  from  the  most  violent 
expressions  of  joy,  from  excessive  fits  of  laughter,  or  the 


HYSTERIA.  223 

most  affectionate  caresses,  to  sulkiness,  pouting,  sighs, 
tears  and  bitter  reproaches,  even  to  regret,  self-accusation 
and  melancholy.  It  is  claimed  by  some  that  hysterical 
persons  dissimulate,  and  feign  ailments  that  do  not  exist. 

It  is  told  of  a  lady  who  had  kept  her  bed  for  months, 
despite  the  remonstrances  of  friends  and  medical  attend- 
ants, that  the  ruse  of  setting  her  bed  on  fire  was  resorted 
to,  and  that,  in  her  fright,  she  flew  out  of  bed  and  house, 
although  she  had  always  insisted  that  it  would  be  death  to 
her  to  move  from  it.  She  returned  to  her  home  and 
couch,  but  like  other  people  and  in  a  natural  condition, 
and  from  that  time  retired  and  rose  regularly  without  the 
slightest  apprehension  or  sickness. 

I  remember  having  been  called  to  see  a  young  woman 
of  nervous  temperament,  very  impressionable  traits  of 
character,  light,  frivolous  and  opinionated.  She  had, 
either  by  dream  or  otherwise,  got  the  notion  that,  at  I 
o'clock  upon  a  certain  night,  she  was  going  to  die.  I,  as 
well  as  her  friends,  endeavored  to  relieve  her  mind  of  this 
fanciful  impression,  but  without  avail.  On  the  night  set 
for  the  sad  event,  about  an  hour  before  the  arrival  of  the 
"  fatal  hour,"  she  sent  a  messenger  to  summon  me  to  her 
bedside,  wishing  to  see  me  once  more  before  departing 
this  life.  Through  the  importunity  of  the  messenger  I 
went,  but  without  any  faith  in  the  prophecy.  On  my 
an  val  I  found  gathered  around  her  bed  her  weeping 
mother,  who  was  little  less  visionary  than  her  daughter, 
and  a  large  number  of  friends,  who  were  more  or  less 
credulous,  and  whose  countenances  wore  the  evidences  of 


224  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

deep  distress.  It  was  only  a  few  minutes  before  the  fatal 
hour.  I  remonstrated  with  her,  assuring  her  that  it  was 
all  a  fancy  ;  that  there  was  not  the  slightest  evidence  of  the 
coming  of  death.  She  could  not  be  persuaded,  but,  bid- 
ding farewell  to  all  her  friends,  like  Hezekiah  of  old, 
"  turned  her  face  to  the  wall,"  and  endeavored  to  die.  It 
is  scarcely  necessary  to  say  that  the  attempt  was  a  failure, 
and  she  was  soon,  as  usual,  attending  to  the  affairs  of  life. 
Although  this  occurred  almost  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago, 
she  is  still  living  in  the  enjoyment  of  fair  health,  the 
mother  of  a  family. 

There  are  numberless  diseases  that  under  the  influence 
of  hysteria  are  greatly  aggravated.  Hysterical  coughs 
are  not  infrequently  so  exaggerated  as  to  lead  one  to  sup- 
pose that  some  serious  lesion  of  the  lungs  or  air-passages 
may  be  developing.  Many  cases  of  hysterical  palpitations 
of  the  heart  are  known,  of  such  violence  that  it  has 
required  the  utmost  difficulty  to  persuade  the  patient  that 
there  was  no  organic  disease  of  that  organ  ;  that  the  dis- 
turbance was  the  result  of  a  peculiar  derangement  of  the 
nervous  system.  The  physician  does  not  dare  to  say 
hysteria,  as  that  name  is  remarkably  offensive  to  a  person 
suffering  from  its  effects. 

In  the  history  of  a  long  practice  in  the  medical  profes- 
sion it  is  surprising  to  note  the  great  variety  of  the 
peculiar  cases  of  this  singular  disease  that  may  be  called 
up.  It  would  fill  the  inexperienced  with  wonder  and 
astonishment.  Feigning  pregnancy  is  not  an  uncommon 
freak  in  this  wonderful  disease.  The  writer  has  a  vivid 


HYSTERIA.  225 

* 

recollection  of  a  woman  who  had  been  married  for  a 
number  of  years,  but  was  childless,  and  remained  so. 
But  she  thought  herself  pregnant,  and  imposed  the  decep- 
tion upon  her  husband.  He  consulted  the  family  physician 
concerning  the  long-hoped-for  condition  of  his  wife.  The 
physician,  after  a  careful  examination  of  all  the  evidence, 
diagnosed  a  case  of  hysteria,  but  did  not  darken  the 
patient's  hope  of  a  prospective  heir  by  revealing  the  real 
state  of  affairs.  The  patient,  who  in  her  own  mind  already 
had  unmistakable  evidence  of  her  pregnant  condition,  was 
left  to  the  enjoyment  of  her  fancy.  Months  rolled  on, 
until  the  time  for  her  expected  delivery  was  at  hand;  as  is 
frequent,  she  feigned  sickness  and  pain.  A  few  of  her 
lady  friends  were  gathered  in,  and  the  physician  was  sum- 
moned. She  labored  in  great  pain,  but  was  unsuccessful 
in  bringing  forth,  which  very  much  disappointed  her.  But 
it  seemed  to  have  a  beneficial  effect  upon  her  hysterical 
affection,  as  she  never  manifested  any  special  hallucination 
afterward. 

This  case  would  not,  however,  have  developed  into 
such  unpleasant  consequences  had  her  husband  been  more 
decided  in  his  opposition  to  her  fanciful  notion.  But,, 
being  himself  of  an  impressionable  nature,  he  was  half- 
disposed  to  persuade  himself  that  her  condition  was  not 
simulated,  but  real.  Yet  it  seems  as  if  the  shock  to  the 
mind  caused  by  the  humiliation  produced  by  such  circum- 
stances is  attended  with  absolute  freedom  from  successive 
attacks. 

It    sometimes   happens  that   hysterical    patients   feign 


226  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

•death.  A  case  of  this  kind  is  related  upon  the  authority 
•of  a  reputable  physician  :  A  woman  was  apparently  dead, 
and  had  been  visited  by  a  number  of  physicians,  all  of 
whom  agreed  that  she  was  not  dead,  but  dying.  She 
had  been  in  this  condition  for  eight  days,  and  both 
friends  and  physicians  were  seriously  concerned  for  her. 
It  was  suggested  by  counsel  that  her  physician  should  go 
to  her,  bid  her  good-by,  and  tell  her,  that,  inasmuch  as  she 
would  die  in  a  few  hours,  he  need  not  return.  He  was 
not  to  leave  the  room,  however.  He  was  to  conceal  him- 
•self  in  such  position  that  he  could  see  the  eyes  of  the 
patient.  The  understanding  was  that  if  she  winked,  or  if 
the  eyelids  trembled,  it  was  a  case  of  hysteria.  An 
injection  of  asafoetida  mixture  was  then  to  be  given,  as 
she  refused  to  allow  even  a  drop  of  water  to  pass  into  the 
mouth.  This  course  was  followed.  In  half  an  hour  she 
•opened  her  eyes  as  from  a  deep  sleep,  and  spoke  to  her 
attendants  as  if  nothing  had  been  the  matter  with  her. 
What  was  strange,  she  never  afterward  alluded  to  the 
affair. 

Hysterical  convulsions  may  be  mistaken  for  epilepsy, 
but  the  inexperienced  need  not  be  misled.  A  fit  of  epi- 
lepsy is  sudden,  with  entire  loss  of  consciousness,  while 
hyster'a  is  gradual,  and  the  loss  of  consciousness  is  never 
•com  ^iete.  In  addition  to  this  difference,  it  may  be  added 
that  epileptic  patients  froth  at  the  mouth,  with  frequently 
-an  admixture  of  blood,  occasioned  by  wounding  the 
tongue  with  the  teeth,  by  the  convulsive  action  of  the 
Tnuscles  of  the  jaws.  But  these  phenomena  are  never 
present  during  an  attack  of  hysteria. 


HYSTERIA.  227 

The  author  was  called  to  see  a  patient  n-jt  long  since 
who  was  said  to  have  paralysis.  He  found  her  in  bed, 
unable,  as  she  averred,  to  move  her  left  arm  or  left  leg. 
Upon  inquiring  into  her  history  it  was  found  that  she  had 
repeatedly  had  similar  attacks.  Upon  further  investiga- 
tion it  was  discovered  that,  from  imprudent  exposure  to 
cold,  she  had  suppression  of  the  menses.  I  diagnosed  a 
ease  of  hysteria.  She  was  given  treatment  to  overcome 
her  suppression,  and,  in  a  couple  of  days,  all  traces  of  her 
paralysis  disappeared.  Her  preceding  attacks  of  paralysis 
had  occurred  in  similar  circumstances. 

Aphonia,  or  sudden  loss  of  voice,  is  not  infrequently 
a  manifestation  of  hysteria.  This  is  the  cause  of  great 
alarm  to  friends;  as  no  other  trace  of  this  disease  may  be 
present,  hysteria  may  not  be  suspected. 

Severe  pains  in  various  parts  of  the  body  and  limbs 
are  the  most  common  simulations  of  hysterical  patients. 
Such  assumptions  of  pain  have  kept  women  in  bed  for 
months,  undergoing  the  severe  ordeal  of  fomentations, 
plasters,  blisters,  etc.,  aided  by  active  constitutional  treat- 
ment, without  any  improvement.  Such  patients  frequently 
persuade  themselves  that  it  is  impossible  for  them  to  move. 
They  keep  their  beds  for  months,  when  they  could  have 
arisen  at  any  time  and  walked. 

A  very  striking  instance  of  this  simulated  illness  is 
related  by  Dr.  Bright  of  a  young  lady  patient  who  had 
kept  her  bed  for  nine  months.  On  attempting  the  slightest 
movement  she  was  thrown  into  paroxysms  of  excitement 
and  great  agony.  There  was  no  evidence  of  any  disease 


228  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

whatever.  She  protested  against  getting  np,  vowing  that 
it  was  impossible  for  her  to  move.  Her  physician,  not 
being  able  to  afford  her  any  relief  from  her  feigned  dis- 
ease, left  her  for  a  month,  and,  on  returning,  was  agreeably 
surprised  to  find  her  well.  Under  a  deep  religious  impres- 
sion she  had  abandoned  her  hallucination  and  gone  to 
work. 

It  is  upon  this  class  of  patients  that  spiritualists  and 
"  metaphysicians,"  as  they  style  themselves,  perform  such 
wonderful  cures.  Through  the  influence  of  the  mind, 
they  put  patients  under  a  stronger  impression ;  they  get 
well  because  there  was  no  physical  disease.  If  such 
charlatans  would  confine  themselves  to  curing  hysteria, 
they  might  be  of  benefit  to  society.  When  they  unright- 
eously undertake  to  cure  absolute  lesions  of  the  body 
through  the  operations  of  the  mind,  impressing  upon  their 
patients  that  they  are  not  sick,  that  they  only  think  they 
are,  they  should  be  regarded  as  impostors  and  treated 
accordingly. 

Simple  hysteria  is  easily  detected.  For  any  trivial 
cause  that  should  do  no  more  than  cause  a  smile,  hysterical 
women,  laugh  immoderately,  and  not  infrequently  end  in 
sobbing  and  crying.  During  a  play  in  which  several  per- 
sons are  engaged,  any  unusual  or  general  merriment  will 
throw  a  girl  into  an  immoderate  and  irrepressible  fit  of 
laughter,  soon  to  be  followed  by  long  and  deep  sighs, 
which  are  efforts  to  gain  breath.  The  fits  of  laughter  may 
be  alternated  with  fits  of  crying,  and  as  if  in  terrible 
distress.  If  these  fits  of  laughing  and  crying  be  not 


HYSTERIA.  229 

immediately  arrested  by  an  extraneous  effort  on  her 
part,  or  her  mind  be  not  quickly  diverted  from  whatever 
excited  the  laughter,  the  fits  become  stronger,  and  are 
frequently  followed  by  a  bolus  or  ball  coming  up  her 
throat,  choking  her  until  she  gasps  for  breath.  She  vio- 
lently grasps  her  clothing  to  relieve  her  throat.  She  may 
become  partially  convulsed  and  throw  her  limbs,  or  grasp 
at  anything  within  her  reach,  and  press  her  fingers  into  it 
with  unusual  force  ;  or  she  may  spread  out  her  hands  and 
fingers  as  though  they  were  sticks.  She  may  have  an 
intermission  and  relaxation  for  a  moment,  only  to  be  fol- 
lowed by  a  return  of  the  paroxysm.  These  remissions  are 
employed  in  wailings  and  moanings,  and  relations  of  her 
abandoned  condition.  Every  person  is  against  her,  no  one 
loves  her,  and  she  refuses  to  be  comforted.  She  tells 
strange  things,  and  reveals  her  secrets,  no  matter  whether 
they  expose  herself  or  injure  her  friends.  There  is  no 
certainty  how  long  this  condition  may  continue.  It  may 
subside  in  a  few  minutes  ;  it  may  last  for  hours,  or  even 
days. 

The  writer  remembers  an  instance  in  which  it  con- 
tinued for  a  fortnight.  Another,  in  discussing  the  subject 
of  hysteria,  relates  a  case  that  occurred  in  his  own  prac- 
tice, in  which  a  lady  who  had  received  a-  mental  shock 
fell  into  a  hysterical  fit,  and,  for  twenty  nights  following, 
these  fits  recurred,  commencing  about  9  or  10  o'clock  in 
the  evening,  and  ending  between  4  and  5  in  the  morning. 
During  the  day  she  was  as  well  as  usual,  and  it  did  not 
seem  as  if  another  attack  would  recur.  Yet,  when  even- 


230  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

ing  arrived,  she  became  hilarious  ;  her  eyes  sparkled,  and 
she  became  talkative  and  witty.  These  were  premonitory 
symptoms  of  another  attack  ;  they  would  change  in  their 
order  of  appearance.  Generally,  while  in  this  talkative 
state,  during  which  her  eyes  were  closed,  she  would  relate 
amusing  stories  about  herself,  her  mother,  sister,  doctor, 
or  any  one  else,  or  repeat  Shakespeare  by  the  page. 
Suddenly  she  would  startle  the  attendants  by  a  piercing 
shriek,  exclaiming,  "  It  is  coming  !  "  pushing  her  hands 
upon  her  temples.  The  davits  hystericus  was  upon  her. 
From  this  she  would  pass  into  a  convulsion,  in  which  she 
would  make  a  bow  of  her  body  backwards,  so  that 
pillows  had  to  be  put  against  the  headboard  of  the  bed- 
stead, lest  her  nose  should  be  broken.  She  would  come 
out  of  these  convulsions  in  two  or  three  minutes,  but  in  a 
moment  more  the  "  spike  "  would  be  driven  through  her 
temples  again,  inducing  the  same  alarming  shrieks,  to  be 
followed  by  another  similar  convulsion.  This  would  last 
sometimes  an  hour  or  two,  when  vomiting  would  super- 
vene, and  the  bod)'-  would  remain  relaxed.  This  vomiting 
was,  if  possible,  more  distressing  than  the  previous  con- 
dition. She  would  retch  violently,  vomiting  only  a  little 
gluey  mucus.  In  an  hour  or  so  this  would  pass  off,  and 
she  would  fall  into  a  semi-trance,  answering  questions,  but 
following  her  own  thoughts,  and,  with  a  smile  on  her  face, 
would  tell  the  amusing  incidents  of  her  life,  or  of  those  of 
persons  present,  or  of  absent  friends.  Finally,  she  would 
fall  into  a  doze,  from  which  she  would  come  out  refreshed 
and  ready  for  her  breakfast. 


HYSTERIA.  231 

This  lady  had  had  a  similar  attack  years  before.  She 
was  cultured,  endowed  with  a  fine  nervous  organization,  and 
was  not  a  hysterical  woman  in  the  common  acceptation  of 
the  term  ;  she  was  brilliant  in  society,  but  always  self- 
possessed.  After  twenty  nights  of  such  torture  she  came 
out  of  that  condition  slightly  weakened,  but  with  unim- 
pared  health.  Fifteen  years  have  now  passed,  and 
although  she  has  had  her  share  of  human  sorrow,  hysteria 
has  not  again  disturbed  her. 

It  is  the  characteristic  of  this  disease  that  no  matter 
how  long  it  may  be  prolonged,  it  rarely  affects  materially 
the  digestive  organs.  The  appetite  remains  unimpaired, 
and  the  general  system  manifests  no  disposition  to 
succumb  to  these  distressing  symptoms. 

It  is  truly  a  mortifying  and  embarrassing  sickness. 
Yet  no  death  from  uncomplicated  hysteria  has  ever  been 
recorded,  and  this,  as  has  been  already  remarked, 
together  with  the  peculiar  and  often  silly  behavior  of  those 
afflicted  in  this  way  is  the  reason  why  many  esteem  it  so 
lightly. 

Treatment   of    Hysteria. 

As  remarked,  it  is  a  lamentable  fact,  and  must  coin- 
cide with  the  experience  of  every  honest  practitioner  of 
medicine  that,  strictly  speaking,  medication  has  been  able 
to  accomplish  but  little  toward  the  permanent  relief  of  this 
troublesome  ailment.  It  is  undoubtedly  true  that  in  the 
hurry  and  bustle  of  the  life  of  a  busy  practitioner,  he  may, 
in  a  proper  and  expeditious  application  of  the  great  list  of 


232        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

anti-spasmodicit  give  timely  relief  to  a  large  number  of 
these  nervous  patients.  But  he  cannot  generally  be 
expected  to  devote  the  time  necessary  to  enable  him  to 
permanently  benefit  them. 

Every  individual  case  requires  a  careful  and  inde- 
pendent investigation  of  all  the  factors  that  enter  into  the 
attack.  A  respectable  authority,  Dr.  Mitchell,  says  upon 
this  point :  "  A  careful  study  of  the  girl's  character,  of  her 
home  surroundings,  of  the  incidents  of  social  life,  which 
come  with  the  development  of  possible  passion,  will  be 
the  best  guide  to  treatment,  and,  with  the  obvious  indica- 
tions given  us,  by  distinct  physical  ailments,  local  or 
general,  constitute  our  chief  resources." 

If  upon  feeble,  exhausted  women  there  be  precipitated 
changes  of  social  circumstances,  love  affairs,  disappoint- 
ments, or  physical  accidents,  invalids  will  be  created  who 
unite  their  exhausted  state  of  system  with  a  bewildering 
list  of  hysterical  phenomena.  These  are  the  cases  of  bed- 
ridden, broken-down,  hysterical  women  that  have  baffled 
the  best-devised  remedies  at  the  command  of  a  faithful 
practitioner  and  driven  him  to  despair  of  a  restoration  to 
health.  They  remain  the  pests  of  households,  wrecking 
the  constitutions  of  nurses  and  devoted  friends,  and,  in 
conscious  self-indulgence,  destroying  the  comfort  of  every 
one  around  them.  Of  these  chronic  hysterical  invalids, 
who  have  been  neglected  in  the  early  manifestations  of 
their  affection  some  attempt  has  been  made  to  speak.  A 
full  and  complete  description  of  all  hysterical  phases  would 
beggar  the  most  graphic  pen. 


HYSTERIA.  233 

It  is,  however,  my  duty,  for  the  benefit  of  those  whose 
ears  are  not  so  heavy  that  they  will  not  hear,  to  protest 
loudly  against  the  neglect  of  incipient  cases,  lest  they  be 
drifted  against  the  rocks  and  shoals  upon  which  so  many 
have  been  shipwrecked.  This,  being  a  disease  peculiar  to 
women,  the  question  naturally  presents  itself  on  the  very 
threshold  of  a  discussion  of  remedial  agents  :  "  What 
are  the  distinguishing  characteristics  of  the  agencies  that 
have  to  do  with  the  physical  life  of  boys  and  girls,  and 
that  are  found  with  such  unequal  results  ?  "  It  is  net 
sufficiently  satisfactory  to  the  observing  mind  to  aver 
that  these  consequences  result  entirely  from  varying 
physical  organisms.  These  physical  constructions,  both 
as  to  the  organs  themselves  and  their  functional  develop- 
ments, are  the  handiwork  of  Him  who  formed  them  with 
such  skilled  appropriateness  and  adaptation  to  the  end  to 
be  attained.  It  would  not  become  the  creature  to  arraign 
the  intelligence  and  the  benevolence  of  the  Creator  before 
the  lesser  majesty  of  natural  law,  upon  the  charge  of 
having  so  formed  and  fashioned  one-half  of  the  human 
family  that,  in  the  organic  functions  of  the  body,  suffering 
and  disease  must  inevitably  follow. 

We  must  look  in  some  other  channel  than  the  normal 
operations  of  the  physical  organisms  of  woman  to  account 
for  her  disparagement  in  this  matter.  I  maintain  that  it 
is  the  result  of  her  literary  education  ;  that  her  mental 
faculties  are  expanded  beyond  human  powers  of  endurance 
by  being  placed  alongside  of  her  brothers  in  class,  and 
stimulated  by  their  ambitious  nature  to  emulation  of  them. 


234  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

The  result  is  collapse  and  wreck.  It  has  been  demon- 
strated beyond  the  possibility  of  a  doubt,  that  though  the 
mental  faculties  of  woman  are  of  a  finer  texture  than 
those  of  men,  they  are  composed  of  more  "  shreds,"  which 
make  the  mental  chords  equally  strong  and  susceptible  of 
even  greater  strains.  Yet,  if  man  were  exposed  to  the 
same  mental  strain  of  woman  in  those  peculiar  circum- 
stances, in  which  she  looks  forward  to  hours  or  days  of 
pain  and  anguish,  the  asylums  of  our  States  would  need 
to  be  greatly  enlarged  for  his  benefit.  It  is,  however, 
believed  that  the  key  to  the  present  inquiry  may  be 
found  in  the  term  education,  if  it  be  taken  in  its  generic 
sense,  which  would  include  all  that  is  involved  in  educa- 
tion, mentally,  morally  and  physically.  A  manifest  defect 
in  either  one  or  more  of  these  different  species  of  educa- 
tion is  patent  in  the  training  of  the  girls  of  our  country. 

Some  light  may  be  thrown  on  the  education  of 
American  children  by  a  quotation  from  one  of  the  period- 
1  icals  of  the  day.  It  is  perhaps  as  pertinent  as  anything 
that  could  be  offered:  "  In  fashionable  and  would-be 
fashionable  circles,  the  poor  little  infants  are  dragged  to 
balls  as  soon  as  they  are  weaned,  and  converted  into  hot- 
house little  men  and  women.  The  books  furnished  to 
them,  the  matinee  entertainments  provided  for  them,  are 
but  calculated  to  arouse  adult  passions  and  thoughts  into 
abnormal,  monstrous  growth.  There  is  no  such  thing  as 
a  nursery  in  the  majority  of  American  city  homes.  The 
children  are  left  to  the  care  of  ignorant,  hired  bonnes,  or 
Irish  girls.  They  swarm  in  the  halls  of  boarding-houses, 


HYSTERIA.  235 

or  haunt  the  servants'  rooms,  trying  to  stretch  their  little 
brains  to  grasp  the  ideas  that  reach  them  there.  When 
they  are  passed  out  of  babyhood  they  are  dismissed  to 
schools,  where  they  learn  good  or  evil,  as  paid  teachers  or 
their  companions  choose.  Let  any  one  observe  the 
groups  of  flaunting,  half-grown  girls  on  their  way  to 
school  in  the  cars,  or  the  over-dressed  coquettes,  misses 
sent  out  to  parade  the  streets  to  display  their  clothes  on  a 
fine  afternoon,  and  listen  to  their  conversation,  and  he 
will  not  wonder  at  their  escapades  into  marriage  or  of  a 
worse  fate.  It  is  not  book  publishers  who  are  to  blame  ; 
it  is  not  play-wrights  ;  it  is  not  the  French  bonnes  or 
Irish  nurses.  They  furnish  what  the  public  demand  of 
them. 

"  The  one  thing  needed  to  give  us  a  generation  of 
modest,  chaste  gentlewomen  in  our  daughters,  is 
mothers  —  mothers  who  know  their  business  and  who 
do  it ;  mothers  who  have  the  sense  to  see  there  is  a 
time  in  a  young  woman's  life,  as  in  a  man's,  when 
animal  spirit  or  excess  of  vitality  needs  outlet ;  mothers 
who  can  guide  their  daughters  through  this  strait  in  all 
innocence  and  purity  instead  of  subjecting  them,  from 
their  very  birth,  to  treatment  which  forces  every  impure 
element  of  their  nature  into  unhealthy  and  obnoxious 
action." 

Sound  remarks  by  Sir  Benjamin  Brodie  on  this  point 
are  no  less  pertinent.  He  says:  "  You  can  render  no  more 
essential  service  to  the  more  affluent  classes  of  society 
than  by  availing  yourselves  of  every  opportunity  of 


236  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

explaining  to  those  among  them  who  are  parents  how 
much  the  ordinary  system  of  education  tends  to  engender 
the  disposition  of  these  diseases  among  their  female 
children.  If  you  will  go  further  so  as  to  make  them 
understand  in  what  their  error  consists,  what  they  ought 
to  do,  and  what  they  ought  to  leave  undone,  you  need 
only  to  point  out  the  difference  between  the  plans  usually 
pursued  in  bringing  up  the  two  sexes.  The  boys  are  sent 
early  to  school, .  where  a  large  portion  of  their  time  is 
passed  in  taking  exercise  in  the  open  air,  while  their 
sisters  are  confined  to  heated  rooms,  taking  little  exercise 
out  of  doors,  and  often  not  at  all,  except  in  a  carriage. 
The  mind  is  over-educated  at  the  expense  of  the  physical 
structure,  and,  after  all,  with  little  advantage  to  the  mind 
itself;  for  who  can  doubt  that  the  principal  object  of  this 
part  of  education  ought  to  be,  not  so  much  to  fill  the 
mind  with  knowledge  as  to  train  it  to  a  right  exercise  of 
its  intellectual  and  normal  faculties?  Or  that,  other 
things  being  the  same,  this  is  more  easily  accomplished  in 
those  whose  animal  functions  are  preserved  in  a  healthy 
state  than  it  is  in  others?  " 

In  summing  up  the  treatment  of  this  singular  phenom- 
enon as  it  presents  itself  to  the  practical  observer,  by  far 
the  most  efficient  elements  will  be  found  in  the  interceptive 
treatment.  This  consists  in  a  thorough  application  of 
the  principle  of  hygiene  as  has  been  assiduously  recom- 
mended in  this  work,  through  all  the  phases  of  life. 
Good  exercise  in  the  open  air  is  all-important.  Air  is  the 
life-supporting  principle  of  the  nervous  system  ;  it  sup- 


GENERAL   EXHAUSTION,    ETC.  237 

plies  the  body  with  oxygen,  and  makes  it  pure  and 
healthy  ;  by  it  every  element  in  the  physical  structure  of 
the  individual  is  developed  and  made  strong  to  withstand 
any  unfavorable  moral  influences  that  accident  may  put  in 
the  pathway  of  life.  It  is  also  necessary  to  avoid  the 
evil  influences  that  are  so  frequently  associated  with 
school-girl  life  ;  that  tend  to  lead  tne  mind  by  a  gradual, 
insidious  process  until  the  unsuspecting,  innocent  girl  is 
caught  in  the  foul  snare  and  held  by  fetters  as  strong 
as  uncontrolled  passion  can  forge  out  of  the  inde- 
terminable depravity  of  the  sensual  heart ;  for  it  is  con- 
ceded that  love,  with  all  its  immoderate  desires  and 
disappointments,  lays  the  foundation  for  this  disease, 
which,  when  once  acquired,  will  only  leave  the  victim 
when  Nature  has  reached  her  limit  and  the  body  entered 
its  season  of  decay. 

General  Exhaustion  from  Disturbed  Menstruation. 

Having  spoken  of  the  disorders  of  menstruation  and 
the  proper  means  to  be  adopted  to  overcome  them  as 
well  as  of  some  nervous  diseases  that  may  develop  under 
the  influences  consequent  to  such  functional  disturbances, 
there  still  remains  a  constitutional  effect  of  which  some- 
thing should  be  said.  The  reference  is  to  a  general 
exhaustion  of  the  vital  forces  of  the  system,  which  is 
sometimes  seen  in  girls  who  have  had  trouble  in  their 
monthly  sickness.  It  not  only  develops  great  nervous 
irritability,  but  a  general  wasting  of  all  the  tissues  of 
the  system.  The  patient  grows  pale  and  wan.  The  eye 


238  "  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD 

loses  its  accustomed  luster  ;  the  lips  are  pale  and  blood- 
less ;  there  is  more  or  less  headache,  accompanied  with 
giddiness  ;  the  hands  and  feet  are  usually  cold  and  moist, 
with  a  clammy,  unpleasant  sweat  ;  not  infrequently  the 
patient  complains  of  nervous  pains  in  different  parts  of 
the  body ;  there  may  be  a  sensation  of  absolute 
exhaustion,  as  though  the  body  had  not  the  strength  to 
hold  together. 

These  attacks  may  come  on  suddenly  and  without 
warning.  The  feeling  of  real  strength  is  variable.  At 
one  time  of  the  day  the  patient  may  accomplish  some 
physical  undertaking.  At  other  times  she  is  unable  to  do 
anything.  At  times,  sitting  quietly  in  a  chair  seems  to 
require  an  exhaustive  effort  of  every  bone  and  muscle,  to 
which  she  is  unequal.  The  going-to-die  feeling  is  quite 
common  in  these  cases,  and  is  frequently  the  cause  of 
great  alarm.  It  may  be  experienced  either  in  daytime 
or  night ;  on  going  to  sleep  or  waking  from  sleep. 

Should  these  symptoms  and  conditions  continue  for  any 
length  of  time,  and  the  general  health  be  feeble,  the  heart 
and  lungs  will  sympathize  with  the  general  debility.  The 
patient  will  be  troubled  with  attacks  of  palpitation  of  the 
heart  and  nervous,  irregular  action  of  that  organ.  The 
breathing  will  become  irregular,  and  a  sense  of  suffoca- 
tion will  be  experienced.  A  cough,  which  at  first  may  be 
purely  nervous,  but  soon  becomes  more  marked  and 
serious,  will  be  developed,  and  the  patient  will  sink 
rapidly  by  acute  consumption,  or,  more  generally,  by  a 
slow  but  sure  process  of  general  wasting  consumption. 


GENERAL   EXHAUSTION,   ETC.  239 


freatment  fop  General  Exhaustion. 

This  debilitation  and  general  prostration  suggests  the 
treatment.  It  should  consist  in  a  general  restoration  of 
the  lost  forces  of  the  system,  both  through  hygienic 
influences  and  medication.  A  tepid  bath  in  the  morning, 
with  a  thorough  rubbing  of  the  skin  and  manipulation  of 
the  muscles,  serves  to  equalize  the  circulation  and  stimulate 
the  exhalation,  thereby  eliminating  the  poison  from  the 
blood.  Free  exercise  in  the  open  air,  commensurate  with 
the  patient's  strength  but  not  to  exhaustion,  should  be 
enjoined.  The  bowels  should  be  regulated  by  proper 
articles  of  diet.  The  food  should  be  rich  and  nutritious, 
consisting  of  cream  or  rich  milk,  to  which  may  be  added 
some  lime-water  ;  if  the  milk  should  sour  on  the  stomach, 
three  parts  milk  to  one  part  lime-water.  Fats  should  be 
administered  liberally  in  emulsions.  Cod-liver  oil  is  an 
excellent  remedy,  when  it  agrees  with  the  stomach.  Fat 
in  the  form  of  good  butter  may  be  taken  frequently  with 
other  food. 

Tonics,  both  vegetable  and  mineral,  may  be  given 
internally.  The  preparations  of  iron  will  be  found  useful. 
They  may  be  combined  with  some  of  the  bitter  tonics. 

A  very  good  combination: 

Citrate  of  Iron,  Three  Drachms. 
Quinine  Sulphate,  Thirty  Grains. 
Tr.  of  Nux  Vomica,  Three  Drachms. 
Water,  Three  Ounces. 

Dissolve  the   iron   in  the  water  and  the  quinine  in  the 


240  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

tincture  of  nux  vomica  and  mix.     Dose,  teaspoonful  three 
times  daily. 

,In  such  grave  diseases  a  competent  physician  should 
always  be  employed,  as  the  disease  is  too  serious  in 
character  for  the  patient  to  rely  upon  home  treatment. 

It  must  also  be  kept  in  mind  that  in  the  most  favorable 
circumstances  complete  recovery  often  tries  the  patience 
severely.  No  woman  need  expect  to  be  restored  in  a  few 
days  or  weeks,  even  with  the  best  of  attention  to  hygiene 
and  medical  care.  The  laws  of  health  may  be  neglected 
for  years  and  passable  health  enjoyed.  Little  by  little, 
and  step  by  step  the  constitution  is  undermined  ;  but  not 
until  a  general  breaking  down  occurs,  is  the  full  extent 
of  the  mischief  suspected.  This  serves  to  suggest  the  pro- 
cess of  recuperation.  That  must  be  restored  which  was 
destroyed,  and  often  in  about  the  same  way — little  by 
little,  step  by  step.  Many  people  forget  this.  They  are 
impatient  and  seize  upon  every  gain  made.  They  over- 
estimate the  progress  in  recovery  and  not  infrequently 
relax  their  recuperative  efforts  far  short  of  complete  res- 
toration. This  is  one  great  vexation  to  the  medical  attend- 
ant. When  the  patient  is  consciously  helpless,  no  difficulty 
is  experienced  in  having  directions  followed,  but  his 
utmost  efforts  to  have  the  process  continued  after  the 
patient  has  passed  out  of  the  worst  phases,  often  are 
unavailing.  The  patient  begins  to  feel  well.  She  thinks 
she  is  well.  She  relaxes  her  medicine  and  hygienic 
regimen.  In  a  short  time  a  relapse  follows,  from  which 
recovery  is  more  difficult  and  more  prolonged. 


03 


THE  MAIDEN. 


General    Remarks. 

The  romping,  hoydenish  maid  of  ten  or  a  dozen  sum- 
mers, whose  rosy  cheeks  and  agile  steps  bespeak  health 
and  happiness,  whose  disheveled  locks  sets  propriety  at 
defiance,  whose  frank,  ingenuous  countenance  tells  of  a 
pure  heart,  and  whose  simple,  unaffected  ways  show 
guilelessness  of  the  world's  arts  —  such  a  maid  has  been 
admired  in  all  ages.  The  unselfishness  of  her  nature  is 
apparent  in  all  her  movements.  Untrammeled  by  the 
restrictions  which  later  in  life  environ  her,  she  joins  freely 
and  fearlessly  in  all  the  sports  of  youth.  There  is  no  sex 
in  youthful  pleasures  and  recreations.  What  is  proper  for 
the  boy  is  proper  for  his  sister.  What  is  relished  by  the 
one  is  equally  relished  by  the  other. 

This  is  the  case  where  Nature  has  her  way.  Parents 
may  erect  barriers  between  the  sports  of  their  sons  and 
daughters,  and  they  may  be  trained  to  feel  a  difference. 
But  naturally  there  is  no  more  difference  between  the 
tastes,  desires  and  inclinations  of  a  boy  and  girl  in  the 
same  familj"  than  there  is  between  two  boys  or  two  girls. 
In  nothing  is  there  aught  of  reserve  in  the  thoughts, 
words  and  the-  actions  of  the  maid.  She  is  an  open, 

241 


242    •  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

frank,  innocent  child,  free  from  conventionalities,  happy 
in  herself,  and  happy  in  her  surroundings.  To  her,  life  is 
glorious,  blessed.  She  is  alive,  and  that  is  enough  for 
her.  She  rejoices  in  the  fullness  of  her  being,  and  she 
drinks  in  all  the  beauties  and  delights  of  the  beautiful 
world  of  which  she  is  a  habitant. 

But  a  change  comes  over  her  life,  at  once  strange, 
mysterious,  all-pervading.  Silently  and  irresistibly  the 
forces  of  Nature  within  her  are  ripening  for  the  great  con- 
summation of  her  being,  A  change  insensibly  creeps  into 
her  tastes  and  emotions.  She  becomes  shy,  reserved, 
listless.  She  does  not  understand  it  at  all.  She  cannot 
apprehend  the  great  changes  that  are  going  on  within  her, 
physically  and  psychically.  She  resents  it.  She  endeav- 
ors to  absorb  herself  in  the  matters  that  have  hitherto 
been  her  delight,  and  she  finds  them  tasteless,  insipid, 
repulsive.  A  feeling  of  wonder  takes  possession  of  her, 
tinged  with  amazement  and  fear.  She  cannot  realize 
where  she  is.  The  past  seems  fading  away  from  her,  and 
the  future  is  only  revealed  in  flitting,  uncertain  glances. 
She  tries  to  hold  on  to  the  vanishing  past,  and  yet  is 
incited  to  look  and  reach  forward.  She  is — 

"  Standing  with  reluctant  feet 
Where  the  brook  and  river  meet." 

hesitating,  trembling,  uncertain  whether  to  advance  or 
recede. 

If  she  have  been  wisely  instructed  by  her  mother,  she 
knows  something  of  the  physiological  changes  that  are 
taking  place  in  her  being.  She  knows  that  she  is  passing 


GENERAL   REMARKS.  243 

from  childhood  into  womanhood.  She  knows  that  this 
development  will  bring  her  into  a  sphere  that  is  entirely 
separated  and  barred  against  all  invasion  of  the  other  sex. 
She  is  prepared  for  something  of  this.  But  she  is  not 
prepared  for  the  greater,  more  mysterious  and  more 
wonderful  transformation  that  takes  place  in  her  thoughts 
and  feelings.  This  is  a  great  mystery  which  no  mother, 
no  teacher  can  explain. 

The  girl  herself  cannot  analyze  her  feelings.  She  has 
a  vague,  indefinable  conception  of  the  transformation  that 
is  going  on,  but  its  causes  are  hidden  from  her.  All  her 
experiences  are  new.  She  moves  about  in  her  accustomed 
ways  with  the  feeling  that  she  is  in  unknown  places.  More 
frequently,  the  feeling  is  that  she  is  another  person  than 
herself.  Familiar  haunts  and  employments  have  a  strange- 
ness that  bewilders  her.  Some  new  machinery  has  been 
set  at  work  within  her  soul,  and  she  is  appalled  with  wonder 
at  the  revelations  it  opens  up  to  her.  What  once  pleased 
her,  now  irritates  or  disgusts.  What  was  once  the  keenest 
delight,  has  now  no  power  to  stir  her  purpose.  What 
once  attracted  her,  now  appears  dull  and  common-place. 
On  the  other  hand,  she  begins  to  find  attractions  and 
interest  in  things  that  were  once  passed  without  her 
notice.  She  finds  herself  more  sensitive.  Her  sympa- 
thies are  more  quickly  touched,  and  they  move  her  more 
profoundly.  But  with  all  these  new  experiences,  there  is 
a  feeling  of  inharmony.  Her  whole  being  is  out  of  joint, 
and  she  lays  the  blame  on  the  objective  world. 

As  the  days  lengthen  into  weeks  and  months  and  the 


244  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

transformation  proceeds  farther,  she  becomes  conscious 
of  the  birth  of  new  hopes  and  desires.  At  first  they  are 
dim,  and  flitting.  By  and  by  they  become  more  clearly 
defined  and  tangible,  as  well  as  more  absorbing.  Gradu- 
ally and  imperceptibly  she  relinquishes  her  hold  upon  her 
childhood  and  reaches  forward  with  intense  interest  and 
longing  to  the  fuller  life  of  womanhood  opening  up  before 
her.  Literally  and  fully  she  "  puts  away  childish  things." 
Thereafter  they  have  no  claim  upon  her  interest  and 
affection.  She  begins  to  have  the  feelings  of  a  woman. 
The  characteristics,  tastes,  habits,  occupations  and  desires 
of  her  sex  take  hold  of  her.  She  seeks  the  companion- 
ship of  women,  and  feels  interest  in  their  conversation 
and  pursuits.  She  comes  into  a  new,  nearer  and  more 
equable  relation  with  her  mother.  She  takes  delight  in 
her  home,  as  she  never  did  before.  She  cares  less  and 
less  for  out-door  sports,  and  seeks  the  retirement  of  her 
home  with  pleasure. 

One  of  the  most  marked  changes  which  she  experiences 
is  the  feeling  with  which  she  regards  the  opposite  sex. 
The  great  mystery  of  sex  is  gradually  revealed  to  her. 
Hitherto  she  had  viewed  her  boy  friends  from  the  stand- 
point of  companionship  ;  now  she  regards  them  from  the 
standpoint  of  sex.  This  change  of  feeling  is  most  decided 
and  most  clearly  defined.  The  maiden  is  fully  conscious 
of  it,  and  betrays  her  consciousness  in  her  actious.  She 
becomes  timid  and  bashful  in  the  presence  of  her  boy- 
friends. She  no  longer  permits  the  freedom  of  unrestrained 
romps  with  them,  nor  admits  them  into  her  confidences. 


ACCOMPLISHMENTS.  245 

She  is  diffident  and  ill  at  ease  in  their  presence.  This  is 
the  time  when  girls  troop  together.  They  form  intimate 
connections  with  each  other,  and  interchange  the  most 
tender  confidences.  They  are  oppressed  with  mutual 
secrets,  and  are  continually  planning  to  be  together  more. 
They  feel  withdrawn,  separated  widely  from  the  opposite 
sex,  and  have  no  great  interest  in  it. 

After  a  little  time,  this  state  passes  away.  The  power 
of  sex,  first  repellant,  becomes  ail-powerfully  attractive. 
The  maiden  begins  to  find  her  feelings  glowing  with 
admiration  for  her  male  companions.  She  no  longer 
classes  them  in  a  body,  but  discriminates.  Some  she 
dislikes  and  some  she  admires.  Some  awaken  a  deeper 
feeling,  which,  when  thoroughly  aroused,  completes  the 
transformation  from  girlhood  to  womanhood. 

Accomplishments. 

No  scheme  of  education  however  comprehensive,  is 
complete  which  does  not  contemplate  the  acquirement  of 
certain  polished  arts  and  accomplishments,  the  purpose  of 
which  is  to  render  the  possessor  more  pleasant  and  agree- 
able to  others.  An  accumulation  of  bricks  and  lumber  is 
not  a  house.  The  skill  of  the  architect  is  laid  under 
tribute,  in  order  that  beauty,  symmetry  and  grace  may  be 
superadded  to  rare  utility.  It  is  not  variety,  but  a  com- 
mendable common-sense  which  leads  men  to  adorn  their 
houses  with  various  ornaments,  not  really  necessary  to 
protection  or  comfort.  There  is  a  sense  in  the  human 
mind  that  finds  gratification  in  the  beautiful  and  the  orna- 


246        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

mental.  It  is  as  much  a  factor  of  the  soul  as  is  the  sense 
of  taste  or  smell.  Its  gratification  brings  as  much  real, 
substantial  enjoyment  as  the  gratification  of  any  other 
sense. 

The  same  thing  is  observable  in  dress.  Something 
more  is  demanded  than  that  the  material  shall  meet  the 
ends  of  covering  the  body  and  protecting  it  from  the 
inclemencies  of  the  atmosphere.  It  must  be  of  material 
that  satisfies  the  sense  of  taste  and  harmony  of  color  and 
quality,  and  be  fashroned  and  fitted  so  as  to  display  the 
contour  of  the  body  to  the  best  possible  advantage,  and 
allow  the  freest  and  most  graceful  motion  of  the  different 
parts.  No  one  is  so  utterly  void  of  the  sense  of  beauty 
and  fitness  as  to  deny  the  advisability  of  calling  in  the 
aid  of  art  in  clothing  Nature.  The  inclination  to  do  so 
everywhere  exists.  It  is  an  innate  and  universal  instinct 
of  humanity  to  desire  to  appear  well.  It  shows  itself  in 
the  uncouth  and  fantastic  adornments  of  the  lowest  class 
of  the  uncivilized  as  strongly  as  among  the  possessors  of 
the  highest  culture  and  enlightenment.  The  rings  and 
bells  and  feathers  with  which  the  rude  inhabitant  of 
Southern  Africa  adorns  himself,  are,  with  the  fashionable 
garb  of  the  American  or  European,  an  evidence  of  the 
possession  of  a  love  for  the  beautiful  and  the  artistic,  and 
a  confession  that  in  yielding  to  the  influence  of  this 
emotion  he  finds  real  pleasure  and  gratification. 

Among  natives  of  higher  civilization  and  refinement 
the  pleasures  of  taste  expand  beyond  material  adornment. 
They  find  their  highest  gratification  in  the  cultured  graces 


ACCOMPLISHMENTS.  247 

of  the  mind.  No  one  can  find  enjoyment  of  life  alone 
and  apart  from  his  fellows.  No  one  can  live  among  his 
fellows  and  either  give  or  receive  pleasure  if  he  have  not 
added  to  substantial  utility  much  that  is  purely  orna- 
mental. Social  life  holds  nothing  that  is  desirable  to  him 
who  cannot  contribute  something  to  the  sum  total  of 
cultured  accomplishments.  It  is  a  weariness  and  oppres- 
sion to  him,  and  he  is  a  burden  to  it. 

What  is  true  of  all  is  emphatically  true  of  the  education 
of  the  young  woman.  Her  province  in  society  is  to  please 
and  be  pleased.  Her  broad  sphere  in  the  world  is  to  give 
grace,  beauty,  harmony  and  brightness  to  life.  It  is  not 
all  of  woman's  sphere  to  ornament  and  please  ;  but  these 
desirable  features  of  social  existence  depend  so  very 
largely  upon  her  that  they  constitute  no  insignificant  part 
of  her  mission.  Her  own  personal  comfort  and  success 
in  society  are  conditioned,  to  a  very  great  extent,  on  the 
possession  and  exercise  of  certain  graces  of  body  and 
mind.  The  acquirement  of  these,  therefore,  becomes  an 
essential  and  very  important  part  of  her  education. 

A  certain  writer  on  this  subject  says  :  "  A  young 
woman  may  excel  in  speaking  French  and  Italian,  may 
repeat  passage  after  passage  from  popular  authors,  may 
play  like  an  expert  and  sing  like  a  siren,  may  dance  with 
the  grace  of  Sempronia,  and  decorate  her  home  with  her 
own  drawings,  and  yet  be  very  badly  educated."  This  is 
true  enough,  but  it  only  proves  that  her  preceptors  erred 
in  placing  an  undue  estimate  upon  these  accomplishments. 
It  is  as  great  a  mistake  to  overestimate  these  accomplish- 


248  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

ments  as  it  is  to  underestimate  them  ;  the  result  is  as 
deplorable,  though  not  more  so,  when  all  the  time  and 
attention  is  given  to  learning  the  arts  which  please  and 
captivate,  as  when  these  are  entirely  neglected.  The 
architect  builds  a  house  first,  with  foundation,  walls  and 
roof,  calculated  to  protect  the  inmates  and  assure  material 
comfort.  He  adds  the  adornments  afterward.  An  educa- 
tion must  comprise  all  the  factors  of  substantial  utility  as 
the  foundation  and  framework.  The  body  must,  first  and 
foremost,  be  educated  to  be  strong  and  healthy ;  it  should 
have  grace  and  symmetry  developed  along  with  these,  not 
as  constituting  the  absolutely  essential  condition,  but  as 
extremely  desirable.  The  mind  must  be  stored  with  all 
useful  information  and  trained  to  right  ways  of  thinking  ; 
but  "it  is  well  that  it  be  educated  in  those  qualities  which 
appreciate  the  beauties  of  harmony  and  color  and  form 
and  poesy. 

It  is  not  all  of  life  —  and  very  far  from  being  all  of 
woman's  life  —  to  eat,  sleep  and  be  clothed  decently  and 
comfortably.  It  is  not  all  of  life  to  be  able  to  pass 
through  the  world  seeing  only  its  fertile  soil,  its  magnifi- 
cent building  stone,  its  commercial  timbers,  its  useful 
carboniferous  deposits,  and  its  various  facilities  for  agri- 
culture, commerce,  navigation  and  manufacture.  The 
soul  has  a  capacity  and  yearning  for  the  beauties  and 
harmonies  of  color  and  sound  and  taste  •  and  smell. 
Nature  teems  with  these  beauties  and  harmonies.  The 
soul  that  is  not  educated  to  see,  appreciate  and  enjoy  these 
delights,  is  only  half  developed.  These  appetites  and 


ACCOMPLISHMENTS.  249 

cravings  were  not  implanted  in  the  soul  to  be  neglected. 
The  body  had  never  been  constructed  with  the  possibility 
of  graceful  movement,  the  hand  to  skillful  touch  and 
manipulation,  the  ear  to  detect  the  melody  and  measure 
harmony,  the  eye  to  discriminate  form  and  color,  if  these 
possibilities  were  to  be  allowed  to  remain  dormant.  The 
soul  is  not  gifted  with  the  capacity  to  enjoy  mental  and 
moral  beauties  that  it  may  never  be  called  upon  to  exer- 
cise itself  in  their  contemplation.  The  utilitarian  theory 
of  education  falls  far  below  the  manifest  teachings  of 
natural  endowments.  Talents  and  capacities  were 
bestowed  that  they  be  developed,  both  for  the  benefit  of 
the  possessor  and  for  that  of  others  with  whom  his  life  is 
or  may  be  associated. 

The  nature  and  extent  of  the  polite  accomplishments 
which  it  is  desirable  for  a  young  woman  to  attain,  depend 
very  largely  upon  her  station  in  life,  and  the  prospects 
which  the  future  have  in  store  for  her.  But,  no  matter 
who  or  what  she  may  be,  or  how  circumstanced  socially, 
it  will  always  be  to  her  advantage,  subjectively  and  objec- 
tively, to  acquire,  to  some  degree,  the  grace  and  culture 
which  a  practical  acquaintance  with  music,  art,  dancing, 
literature,  etc.,  bestow.  It  is  profitable  for  two  reasons  : 
One  is  that  the  possession  of  these  accomplishments  brings 
its  own  reward.  The  body  is  stronger,  more  comely, 
more  healthful  when  it  is  trained  to  graceful  movement 
and  position.  The  mind  grasps  a  larger  scope  and  quaffs 
deeper  pleasures  when  its  faculties  of  beauty  and  harmony 
have  been  educated  and  trained.  The  other  reason  is  that 


250  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

a  woman  thus  cultured,  is  a  more  useful,  engaging  and 
ornamental  member  of  society.  She  helps  others.  She 
pleases  her  friends  and  companions  better,  rises  to  a  higher 
plane  in  society,  and  opens  a  brighter  future  for  herself. 
She  will  be  a  better  companion,  friend,  counsellor  and 
helper  to  her  husband.  She  will  make  her  home  brighter, 
happier  and  more  desirable.  She  will  bind  her  husband 
and  children  so  closely  to  her  and  to  the  home  of  which 
she  is  the  light,  that  the  temptations  and  allurements  of 
the  world  will  fall  helpless  and  harmless.  She  will  be  able 
to  train  her  sons  into  nobler  men  and  her  daughters  into 
purer  and  better  women  if  she  possess  these  accomplish- 
ments than  if  she  lack  them. 

The  education  of  young  women  in  the  polite  arts  is, 
unhappily,  too  much  of  a  formality.  A  prescribed  course 
is  followed  by  all  with  little  or  no  regard  to  taste  or 
capacity.  It  is  altogether  different  in  the  education  of 
young  men,  and  rightly,  too.  It  is  proper  that  every 
young  women  should  pass  through  a  certain  training  to 
give  her  grace,  skill  and  appreciation.  It  is  a  mistake 
that,  after  she  may  have  developed  a  tendency  to  pursue 
some  particular  art,  she  should  be  compelled  to  give  time 
and  labor  for  another  for  which  she  has  no  aptitude  what- 
ever. In  society,  as  in  business,  specialties  count.  If 
a  gift  for  one  thing  be  discovered,  it  is  advisable  that  it 
be  cultivated.  Out  of  a  score  of  girls  who  follow  the 
same  musical  training,  one  perhaps  may  become  a 
musician.  This  does  not  argue  defective  training  for  the 
others,  or  inattention  on  their  part  ;  it  may  only  prove 


ACCOMPLISHMENTS.  2$  I 

that  they  had  no  musical  taste  and  aptitude.  Out  of  the 
nineteen  a  good  proportion  might  have  developed  into 
fine  artists  or  teachers  of  letters.  Full,  rounded  develop- 
ments are  not  always  secured  most  satisfactorily  by 
similar  training.  Very  often  such  training  serves 
to  keep  the  subject  from  ever  becoming  anything.  The 
whole  nature  is  dwarfed  and  stunted.  On  the  contrary,  it 
not  infrequently  happens  that  a  pupil  who  showed  no 
capacity  whatever  for  a  certain  department  of  education, 
has,  under  the  sympathetic  stimulus  of  an  enlarged  develop- 
ment in  another  direction,  become  quite  proficient  in  that 
which  was  once  despaired  of.  The  philosophy  of  this 
seems  to  be  that  the  soul  must  be  probed  to  its  very 
depths  before  the  best  that  is  in  it  can  be  evolved  ;  when 
so  probed,  it  will  sometimes  develop  capacities  that  were 
undreamed  of  by  its  possessor. 

The  acquirement  of  the  arts  and  graces  of  polite  soci- 
ety is  to  be  desired  by  every  young  woman.  No  such 
accomplishment  is  wasted.  In  the  after  years  of  her  life 
she  may  be  so  situated  that  she  cannot  practice  the  grace 
she  has  learned  ;  but  its  impression  is  on  her  soul  and  in 
her  life,  showing  itself  in  a  thousand  intangible  ways. 
Her  home  will  show  her  taste,  and  skill,  though  it  may  be 
difficult  for  her  to  see  exactly  how.  The  veteran  soldier 
walks  with  military  precision,  and  the  sailor  with  a  swag- 
ger, long  years  after  each  has  ceased  his  vocation.  The 
discipline  of  training  established  the  habit.  The  poet  sees 
beauty  even  while  he  may  be  engaged  in  the  most  prosaic 
duties. 

:i_LlietE  c 


252  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

So  the  woman,  who  is  trained  to  be  polite,  graceful 
and  entertaining,  will  continue  to  exhibit  these  graces  in 
all  her  after  life.  Her  maiden  accomplishments  will  bear 
fruitage  in  her  matronly  home  life  and  duties. 

When  to   Make  Engagements. 

The  social  customs  of  America  are  wholly  different 
from  those  of  Europe  and  the  rest  of  the  world.  With  us, 
girls  are  allowed  all  freedom  in  courtship.  The  responsi- 
bility of  deciding  on  a  husband  is  generally  left  to  the  girl 
entirely,  with  such  counsel  as  her  parents  may  choose  to 
give  her,  or  she  may  seek  from  them  and  others.  When 
a  man  and  woman  of  marriageable  age  seek  each  other's 
society,  with  a  view  to  marriage,  it  is  expected  that,  in  due 
time,  the  subject  of  marriage  will  be  named  between  them. 
If  its  prospect  is  agreeable  to  both,  an  engagement  follows. 
This  engagement  is  made  between  the  parties  most  inter- 
ested, and  this  is  ordinarily  considered  to  be  enough  to 
make  it  binding,  though  courtesy  and  a  due  deference 
demand  that  the  parents  of  the  bride  shall  be  asked  to 
sanction  it. 

The  engagement  is  an  important  step  in  the  courtship. 
It  should  never  be  taken  hastily,  and  when  once  made, 
should  be  treated  sacredly.  The  honesty  of  both  man 
and  woman  is  pledged  in  the  solemn  covenant.  It  should, 
and  ordinarily  does,  settle  the  question  of  marriage.  After 
troth  is  plighted,  the  time  of  marriage  is  a  mere  matter  of 
convenience.  The  material  condition  of  the  contracting 
parties  decides  how  long  the  engagement  shall  continue. 


•  r;j  n 


WHEN   TO    MAKE    ENGAGEMENTS.  253 

No  man  has  the  moral  or  social  right  to  ask  a  woman  to 
marry  him  until  he  is  in  a  position  to  seriously  consider 
the  fulfillment  of  his  promise,  and  no  woman  should 
promise  to  marry  a  man  when  the  conditions  are  such  that 
she  cannot  think  of  marriage  for  years. 

An  engagement  should  not  be  made,  then,  until  both 
parties  are  fully  satisfied  with  each  other.  It  has  been 
said  that  the  prime  purpose  of  courtship  is  to  determine 
the  mutual  suitableness  of  the  persons  for  a  life  companion- 
ship. Until  this  decision  have  been  made  in  the  minds  of 
each,  no  binding  of  the  one  to  the  other  should  be  thought 
of.  The  length  of  time  from  the  beginning  of  the  court- 
ship until  an  engagement  may  be  proper  depends  pretty 
largely  on  circumstances.  With  some  persons,  a  few 
weeks'  intercourse  is  sufficient  to  thoroughly  understand 
and  judge  each  other.  If  marriage  be  practicable,  there  is 
no  good  reason  why  an  engagement  should  not  be  made 
and  preparations  for  the  marriage  begun  at  once. 

In  the  case  of  persons  who  have  long  known  each 
othep- — who  have  grown  up  in  the  same  commun- 
ity—  there  is  little  to  be  learned  beyond  compatibility  of 
temper,  taste  and  disposition,  and  the  development  of 
affection.  In  the  case  of  persons  who  have  been  strangers, 
longer  time  is  to  be  given.  Everything  is  to  be  learned. 
The  maiden,  especially,  knows  nothing  of  her  suitor,  save 
what  her  own  judgment  reads  in  her  intercourse  with  him. 
And  as  few  men  reveal  their  whole  nature  and  their  true 
disposition  to  persons  of  the  opposite  sex,  the  maiden 
demands  more  time  before  being  called  upon  to  settle  the 


254  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

momentous  question.  She  ought  to  see  him  in  various 
circumstances,  and  note  the  influence  upon  his  disposition, 
in  order  to  fairly  judge  him.  She  has  a  right  to  know  his 
previous  history  and  the  physiological  history  of  his 
family.  She  must  be  sure  that  she  loves  the  man,  and 
that  her  love  rests  upon  proper  foundations  to  endure  all 
the  trials  of  marital  experience.  No  such  love  can  be 
genuine  and,  therefore,  abiding,  which  has  ignorance  for  a 
prime  factor.  Blind  love  is  nothing  more  than  sexual 
passion.  True  love  is  intelligent,  resting  upon  a  knowl- 
edge of  the  object,  and  a  profound  confidence  in  and 
respect  for  the  character  of  that  object.  There  is  a  sort 
of  animal  magnetism  interchanged  between  persons  of  the 
opposite  sex,  when  brought  into  continuous  contiguity. 
This  is  not  love.  It  is,  at  best,  no  more  than  passion. 
There  can  be  no  genuine  love  without  this  passion,  but 
there  may  be  absorbing  passion  without  love. 

Long  and  Short  Engagements. 

A  reasonable  time  must  elapse  after  an  engagement  is 
entered  into  before  the  marriage  should  take  place.  There 
are  sound  social,  economical  and  physiological  reasons 
why  this  should  neither  be  abridged  too  much  nor  extended 
too  long.  Some  time  is  required  for  the  maiden  to  make 
preparations  for  beginning  her  new  life.  It  is  a  custom, 
and  a  wise  one,  that  she  should  provide  herself  with  a 
wardrobe  sufficient  to  last  her  a  year  or  more  after  mar- 
riage.' The  new  wife  will  have  enough  to  engage  her 
attention  without  the  toil  and  worry  of  providing  herself 


LONG  AND  SHORT  ENGAGEMENTS.        255 

with  apparel.  Custom  is  inexorable  in  decreeing  it  an 
impropriety  to  anticipate  the  engagement  by  any  prepara- 
tions for  marriage.  Consequently,  all  such  preparations 
must  be  made  after  the  engagement. 

It  sometimes  is  deemed  wise  to  break  an  engagement. 
While  this  is  to  be  discouraged,  yet  there  may  arise  cases 
in  which  it  is  manifestly  for  the  good  of  all  concerned. 
The  post-engagement  period  of  courtship  brings  the  parties 
into  a  new,  different  and  more  intimate  relationship.  Much 
of  the  reserve  that  existed  between  them  naturally  and 
properly  is  laid  aside.  They  feel  that  they  belong  to  each 
other.  They  are  bound  to  each  other  in  a  solemn  engage- 
ment, and  their  relations  are  only  one  step  removed  from 
those  of  marriage  itself. 

It  is  not  surprising  that,  under  this  fuller  and  freer 
intercourse,  especially  when  the  motive  of  insincerity  is 
largely  taken  away,  that  each  should  become  more  fully 
cognizant  of  the  character  of  the  other.  This  is  the  more 
likely  to  be  the  case  when  the  engagement  has  been  hastily 
made,  when  the  parties  are  young,  or  when  the  ante- 
engagement  courtship  has  been  a  sort  of  half-waking 
dream.  Now,  while  it  is  true  that  an  engagement  to  marry 
is  a  very  sacred  obligation,  marriage  is  still  more  sacred. 
If  it  should  be  discovered  during  the  engagement  that  the 
parties  had  not  understood  each  other,  or  were  manifestly 
unsuited  to  each  other,  it  is  better  for  both  that  the  mar- 
riage should  not  take  place.  If  wrong  be  done  in  breaking 
the  engagement,  then  a  greater  wrong  would  be  done  in 
fulfilling  it.  If  a  mistake  be  committed,  matters  are  not 
bettered  by  committing  another  and  graver  one. 


2 $6  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

This  constitutes  another  reason  for  allowing  some  time 
to  the  engagement.  Its  place  in  courtship  might  well  be 
called  the  verifying  period,  in  which  the  person's  conclu- 
sions are  to  be  proved,  and  convictions  firmly  riveted. 
This  consideration  in  itself  would  urge  no  definite  pro- 
longation of  the  engagement.  It  depends  entirely  on  the 
state  of  knowledge  and  conviction  at  the  time  the  engage- 
ment was  made. 

There  are  physiological  reasons  against  a  long  engage- 
ment. The  personal  relations  between  the  persons  is  very 
intimate.  If  they  live  near  each  other,  and  are  conse- 
quently much  in  each  other's  society,  there  is  great 
nervous  excitement  and  exhaustion  of  nerve-power,  how- 
ever sedately  they  may  comport  themselves.  Most 
Americans  are  nervous,  excitable  and  passionate,  and  the 
strain  upon  such  natures  is  great.  It  not  infrequently 
leads  to  such  a  debilitated  condition  of  the  system  that 
disease  is  superinduced.  Contiguity  in  the  relationship 
that  exists  may  lead  to  serious  derangement  of  the  pro- 
creative  organs. 

For  the  reasons  given  above,  it  is  evident  that  sufficient 
time  should  elapse  —  perhaps  two  or  three  months  —  to 
allow  the  prospective  bride  to  prepare  herself,  and  not 
more  than  a  year  or  fifteen  months,  lest  physiological  ills 
be  incurred. 

Love  at  First  Sight. 

From  what  has  already  been  said  of  the  nature  of  true, 
lasting  affection,  the  conclusion  must  be  that  it  is  a  growth, 
a  development.  It  begins  with  attraction,  leads  to  inter- 


LOVE   AT   FIRST   SIGHT.  257 

est,  expands  into  respect,  deepens  into  tenderness,  and 
rushes  to  passionate  desire.  This  is  the  rule.  But,  like 
all  rules,  there  are  exceptions,  or,  at  least,  alleged  excep- 
tions. Cases  are  known  to  almost  every  one  of  persons 
who  were  irresistibly  drawn  to  each  other  at  their  first 
meeting  ;  a  few  minutes  or  hours  so  deepened  the  impres- 
sion each  had  made  upon  the  other  that  all  the  character- 
istics of  genuine  affection  were  developed.  Fiction  and 
romance  have  abounded  in  cases  of  this  sort,  and  it  must 
be  conceded  that  real  life  has  not  been  without  authentic 
instances. 

Such  exceptions  are  inexplicable  on  physiological  or 
psychological  grounds.  There  are  eccentricities  and 
anomalies  in  the  physical  world,  and  in  the  metaphysical 
as  well.  Why  should  there  not  be  in  the  psychical  ?  In 
the  former  cases,  the  explanation  is  that  they  are  excep- 
tions, abnormal  conditions,  and  are  essentially  sui  generis. 
Nothing  better  than  this  can  be  said  with  regard  to  the 
cases  under  discussion.  The  general  rule  of  the  genera- 
tion, development  and  consummation  of  sexual  love  can 
be  given  with  considerable  precision  ;  when  an  exception 
is  found  which  digresses  widely  from  the  general  rule  of 
experience  and  observation,  it  must  be  treated  as  a 
rarity. 

It  will  be  sufficient,  then,  to  admit  that  there  are  cases 
of  genuine  love  at  the  first  encounter  ;  that  persons  at  the 
first  meeting  have  exerted  such  a  marked  influence  upon 
each  other,  that  each  involuntarily  thought  and  desired  a 
more  intimate  relation,  and  was  irresistibly  attracted.  It 


MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 


may  be  said  that  no  variation  from  the  general  directions 
for  courtship  and  engagement  should  be  made  in  such 
cases.  Indeed,  there  is  all  the  greater  need  for  careful 
and  prudent  discrimination  during  courtship.  A  deep 
impression  is  not  love.  An  irresistible  fascination  is  not 
love.  A  passionate  yearning  may  not  be  love.  Careful 
introspection  should  be  made,  and  analysis  of  the  emo- 
tions, so  that  no  mistake  shall  be  made. 

Love  —  What  Is  It? 

Love  is  the  most  common  thing  on  earth  ;  and  yet  it 
is  one  of  the  profoundest  mysteries.  The  source  from 
which  it  springs,  the  means  by  which  it  is  stimulated,  the 
ways  by  which  it  travels,  have  never  been  discovered,  and 
cannot  be  determined.  It  is  at  one  and  the  same  time 
the  simplest  and  most  complex  passion  known  to  animated 
creation.  It  excites  to  the  noblest  deeds  of  heroism,  self- 
abnegation  and  devotion  ;  it  is  the  direct  agent  in  leading 
to  the  basest  selfishness,  cruelty  and  deceit.  It  makes  an 
angel  of  one,  and  a  devil  of  another.  It  brings  the 
sweetest,  purest  and  profoundest  bliss  ;  and  it  is  the  cause 
of  the  bitterest,  crudest  and  most  withering  sorrow. 

In  its  truest  sense,  love  is  the  light  and  majesty  of  life. 
It  is  the  ultimate  principle  to  which  all  things  must  be 
resolved.  Take  it  away,  and  the  world  becomes  a  barren 
waste.  Banish  this  principle,  and  there  is  only  a  world  of 
monuments,  each  standing  isolated,  gloomy  and  crumb- 
ling. It  is  an  army  of  gravestones  without  a  chaplet  ;  a 
shrubless  plain  without  a  leaf  of  green  to  relieve  the 


LOVE  —  WHAT   IS   IT?  259 

insipidity  and  monotonous  uniformity  that  everywhere 
extends.  Things  base  and  cruel,  creeping  and  obscure, 
withered  and  bloodless,  alone  could  spring  from  such  a 
soil. 

Love  is  a  principle  that  must  look  beyond  and  above 
the  world  for  its  origin,  inspiration  and  life.  Refining 
and  elevating  in  its  character,  it  expels  all  that  is  sordid 
and  base.  It  bids  to  great  deeds,  noble  thoughts.  It  is 
the  philosopher's  stone  which  transmutes  common  clay 
into  the  purest  gold.  It  illumines  the  darkest  pathway. 
It  makes  home  happy  and  memory  blissful.  It  blends 
hearts  together  in  inseparable  unity.  It  is  the  very  sun  of 
life  —  largest  and  most  beautiful  in  the  morning  and 
evening,  strongest  and  steadiest  at  the  noontime.  With- 
out it,  the  soul  has  no  central,  living  force,  and  life  is 
worse  than  death. 

The  ancient  Greeks  represented  love  under  a  two- 
fold aspect ;  there  was  the  love  for  the  good  and  beautiful, 
the  excellent  or  desirable  in  the  abstract ;  the  other  form, 
in  addition  to  these  qualities,  included  the  love  of  the 
sexes,  one  for  the  other.  The  Greek  word  eras  meant 
passion,  desire,  affection,  or  kindness,  while  the  word 
agapa  signified  love,  friendship,  affection,  charity,  and  the 
love  of  God  to  man. 

Moral  love  is  what  will  most  claim  our  attention.  This 
implies  that  affection  which  persons  of  different  sexes  feel 
toward  each  other.  Upon  analysis,  we  find  it  to  consist  of 
ideas  attached  to  mind  and  in  part  to  matter.  Love  is 
pure.  It  is  not  what  the  sensualist  feels,  and  the 


260        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

voluptuary  does  not  know  the  meaning  of  the  word.  The 
vicious  know  it  not.  These  follow  but  a  vain  shadow,  a 
low,  vile  passion,  not  the  ennobling,  sublimating,  soul- 
refining  delights,  known  only  to  the  virtuous,  as  attached 
to  the  idea  comprehended  in  the  word  love. 

For  instance,  two  men,  different  in  character  and 
pursuits,  meet  a  young  lady  at  a  social  party.  She  has 
arrived  at  blooming  seventeen.  Her  form  is  perfect ;  her 
lips  are  like  rubies ;  her  teeth  like  ivory  ;  her  eye  like  the 
gazelle's ;  her  countenance  angelic  ;  in  her  is  realized  the 
beau  ideal  of  poetic  beauty.  As  she  moves  in  the  gay 
circle  of  the  dance,  her  whole  deportment  combines  all  that 
is  agile  with  all  that  is  graceful  ;  as  the  wavy  curls  flow 
down  her  fair  neck,  the  eye  rests  for  a  moment  on  the 
rotundity  of  figure,  displayed  in  her  heaving  breast.  Two 
individuals  thus  view  her ;  the  one  from  the  gambling 
table  and  the  haunts  of  vice  and  debauchery  ;  the  other 
from  an  unpolluted  home,  the  abode  of  a  loving  mother 
and  an  affectionate  sister.  The  two  see  the  girl  at  the 
same  moment,  and  she  inspires  the  one  with  passion,  the 
other  with  love. 

They  both  gaze  on  her,  and  while  one  would  plot  how 
to  rob  her  of  the  pearl  of  virtue,  and  gratify  a  transitory 
passion  by  sacrificing  her  purity  and  happiness  to  his 
ungovernable  lust,  the  other  is  inspired  by  a  heavenly 
sentiment.  He  grows  deathly  pale,  his  lips  quiver,  his 
voice  trembles,  and,  filled  with  inexpressible  tenderness 
and  purest  emotion,  he  views  her  as  the  fair  star  of  his 
destiny,  the  beacon-light  of  his  future  ;  and,  studying  her 


LOVE  —  WHAT   IS   IT?  26 1 

interest  and  felicity  no  less  than  his  own,  he  desires  to 
devote  his  life  to  the  pleasing  task  of  making  her  happy ; 
and  that  is  the  holy  state  of  matrimony.  This  is  love, 
pure  and  undefiled. 

In  like  manner  a  tender  lady  sees  a  man  who  is  the 
object  of  her  esteem.  His  comely  proportions,  his 
exalted  character,  his  loving  heart,  his  noble  disposition, 
all  tend  to  impress  her  favorably  and,  scarcely  known  to 
herself,  she  thinks  of  him  when  he  is  absent,  blushes  in 
his  presence,  betrays  some  little  tender  emotion  and 
already  her  heart  is  his  own.  She  loves  —  thrilling  and 
delightful  emotion  in  the  pure  heart  of  a  woman  —  for 
woman's  heart  is  kind  and  is  not  made  of  rock;  on 
the  contrary,  it  is  more  like  wax,  pliable  and  easily 
impressed. 

"  What  thing  is  love,  which  naught  can  counter-veil, 

Naught  save  itself,  even  such  a  thing  is  love  ; 
And  worldly  wealth  in  worth  as  far  doth  fail, 
As  lowest  earth  doth  yield  to  heaven  above. 
Divine  is  love,  and  scorneth  worldly  pen, 
And  can  be  bought  with  nothing  but  itself. " 

There  is  thus  in  the  sexes  an  adaption  to  one  another. 
Each  without  the  other  is  imperfect.  The  coarseness  of 
man,  his  hardness  and  asperity,  are  refined,  softened  and 
smoothed  by  the  gentle  influence  of  woman.  They  have 
a  mutual  attraction  for  each  other,  like  the  opposite  poles 
of  a  powerful  magnet.  Woman  may  be  represented  as 
the  negative  pole.  She  is  passive,  as  it  were.  The  motive 
and  power  must  come  from  man.  Thus  man  and  woman 
but  fulfill  their  destiny  when  they  meet  and  unite  for 
life. 


262        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

Moral  love  in  man  has  the  same  principle  as  physical 
love  among  animals.  It  is  an  intangible  something  in  the 
being  —hich  attracts  another.  They  are  irresistibly  drawn 
togethe  .  They  are  absorbed  in  each  other.  Individual 
identity  *s  lost  in  the  blending.  They  are  bound  by  chains 
that  cannot  be  severed.  It  is  the  most  blissful  bondage. 
Each  absorbed  in  the  other,  is  forgetful  of  self. 

Neither  thinks  of  self  as  disassociated  from  the  other. 
It  is  an  involuntary  passion.  It  can  neither  be  bidden  to 
arise  nor  to  depart  at  will.  It  is  directed  by  no  variable 
element  and  is  bound  by  no  rules.  A  word,  a  look,  a 
motion  may  call  it  into  being,  and  eternity  cannot 
stifle  it. 

Courtship. 

Courtship  is  the  mating  of  kindred  souls.  It  is  one  of 
the  sweetest,  most  delightsome  periods  of  life.  The  ele- 
ment of  uncertainty  gives  a  zest  to  the  quest.  The  taste 
of  the  profound  joys  of  mutual  love  sweetens  every  hour. 
Anticipation  excites  eagerness,  while  new  discoveries  of 
character  constantly  revealed  lends  a  most  absorbing 
interest.  Life  is  a  poem,  the  earth  a  paradise  of  roses, 
the  heavens  a  galaxy  of  diadems.  All  the  senses  are 
absorbed  in  blissful  lethargy.  The  most  prosaic  utterances 
glitter  with  rare  beauty.  The  most  common-place  scenes 
are  invested  with  romantic  interest.  The  air  is  fragrant 
with  a  thousand  delicious  odors.  The  past  fades  away 
and  the  future  holds  nothing  but  what  is  desirable. 

This  is  a  period  and  pursuit  about  which  the  sweetest 
poetry  arid  the  silliest  prose  have  been  written.  A  time 


THE  ENGAGEMENT  RING. 


COURTSHIP.  263 

that  demands  the  exercise  of  the  calmest  reason,  it  is  a 
time  when  reason  is  held  in  abeyance  to  passion.  A  time 
which  demands  the  most  profound  thoughtfulness,  it  is  a 
time  in  which  no  thought  is  exercised.  A  time  of  the 
gravest  importance,  it  is  a  time  that  is  dreamed  away  in 
careless  enjoyment.  A  time  that  calls  for  the  clearest 
self-vigilance,  it  is  a  time  in  which  self  is  permitted  to 
float  about  at  the  will  of  the  senses.  A  time  that  should 
call  for  the  most  careful  scrutiny  and  equable  judgment,  it 
is  the  time  in  which  the  eyes  are  holden  and  the  judgment 
swayed  by  the  emotions. 

There  are  two  great  reasons  which  stamp  the  period  of 
courtship  second  to  no  other  era  of  life.  One  is  that  it 
calls  for  the  exercise  of  the  highest  discrimination,  resolu- 
tion and  judgment.  A  young  man  and  a  young  woman 
are  attracted  to  each  other.  The  point  of  attraction  may 
be  trifling,  insignificant,  intangible.  Neither,  perhaps,  can 
tell  exactly  what  in  the  other  interests  and  attracts.  This 
attraction  leads  to  association.  Association  ripens  into 
friendship.  Friendship  blossoms  into  love.  Love  finds  its 
fruition  in  marriage.  Between  the  first  and  last  terms  of 
this  series,  lies  the  period  of  courtship.  What  is  its  pur- 
pose ?  Manifestly,  to  gain  a  more  intimate  knowledge  of 
each  other's  character,  disposition,  temperament,  habits, 
etc.  For  what  ?  To  decide  whether  each  is  adapted  to 
the  other,  and  whether  or  not  an  intimate,  indissoluble 
union  may  be  desirable. 

The  essential  purpose  of  courtship,  then,  is  the  study 
of  character.  To  do  this  creditably  demands  the  exercise 


264  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

of  the  intellectual  faculties  to  the  highest  degree.  It  is 
not  a  time  to  allow  the  senses  to  become  so  steeped  in  the 
bliss  of  the  present  that  discernment  and  discrimination 
are  blinded.  Love  is  blind.  But  courtship  is  not  love. 
It  should  not  be  blind.  It  is  the  development,  the  culti- 
vation of  love.  But  at  the  same  time,  it  is  the  determin- 
ing whether  or  not  it  be  desirable  to  have  love  cultivated 

O 

and  brought  to  a  ripened  fruition.  There  can  be  no  true 
marriage  which  does  not  rest  upon  love.  But  there  can 
be  no  true  love  which  does  not  rest  upon  a  basis  of  respect. 
There  can  be  no  intelligent  respect  which  looks  to  any 
qualities  in  the  object  respected  which  are  outside  real 
character.  A  man  may  be  attracted  by  a  dainty  habit, 
bewitched  by  a  rougish  eye,  charmed  by  a  graceful  form  and 
carriage,  delighted  by  a  witty  repartee  ;  but  he  cannot 
respect,  in  any  proper  use  of  the  term,  a  handsome  dress,  a 
brilliant  eye,  a  perfect  movement,  a  ready  tongue.  He 
cannot  love  what  is  not  preceded  by  a  profound  respect. 

Passion  is  not  love.  Admiration,  pleasure,  enjoyment, 
delirium — these  are  not  all  the  ingredients  of  deep  and 
abiding  affection.  It  goes  beyond  and  beneath  all  these 
emotions.  It  finds  no  secure  resting  place  till  it  reaches, 
analyses,  synthesizes,  and  weighs  the  character  of  the 
object  of  passion.  These  processes  are  to  be  pursued  dur- 
ing the  courting  time.  It  is,  then,  not  alone  a  time  of 
cooing  and  wooing,  but  more  essentially  a  time  of  deep  and 
careful  study.  Everything  in  the  future  depends  upon  the 
thoroughness,  the  impartiality  and  defmiteness  of  that 
study.  And  this  suggests  the  other  reason  referred  to. 


COURTSHIP.  265 

The  happiness  of  marriage  is  conditional  on  the  manner 
in  which  courtship  is  conducted.  Marriage  does  not  neces- 
sarily imply  happiness.  Courtship  need  not  necessarily, 
in  every  instance,  lead  to  marriage.  On  the  contrary, 
marriage  has  often  proved  the  bitterest  sorrow.  There 
are  some  cases,  in  which  the  cause* of  the  unhappiness  did 
not  exist  at  the  time  of  marriage,  but  they  are  exceedingly 
rare.  There  are  very  few  cases  of  marital  unhappiness 
that  are  not  the  direct  result  of  ignorance.  The  wife  did 
not  know  the  husband,  or  the  husband  did  not  know  the 
wife,  when  this  relation  was  established.  That  element  of 
character  which  now,  in  its  operations  in  life,  breeds  the 
unhappiness,  was  either  unknown  or  unweighed  when  the 
decision  of  marriage  was  made.  The  same  disposition 
which  leads  to  a  feeling  of  repulsion  now,  would  have  pro- 
duced the  same  effect  then  had  the  disturbing  cause  been 
known  and  observed.  The  same  inability  to  love  now, 
because  of  certain  traits  of  character  or  habits  of  life, 
existed  before  marriage,  and  would  have  asserted  itself  had 
not  the  eyes  been  too  blinded  to  perceive  the  existence  of 
these  offensive  traits,  and  the  mind  too  full  to  trace  them 
to  their  legitimate  fruitage. 

It  is  doubtless  true  that  a  husband  or  wife  often 
develop,  after  marriage,  the  characteristics  which  destroy 
domestic  peace  and  undermine  marital  happiness.  But  it 
is  also  true,  that  it  is  development,  not  creation.  Few 
men  or  women  at  marriageable  age,  have  not  reached 
maturity.  They  are  then  what  they  always  will  be.  Certain 
traits  may  be  developed  to  legitimate  sequences;  but  the 


265  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

principle  existed  in  the  character  all  the  time.  The  thief 
at  thirty  had  the  instincts  of  a  thief  at  twenty,  though  he 
may  never  have  stolen  anything.  If  the  courtship  had 
been  conducted  on  the  rational  basis  which  its  importance 
demands,  the  character  of  each  would  have  been  fully 
known  before  marriage.  It  is,  then,  a  mere  matter  of 
judgment  whether  marriage  shall  be  contracted  or  not. 

It  may  be  eonceded  that  the  mutual  study  of  character 
during  the  period  of  courtship  is  difficult.  But  this  is  no 
reason  why  it  should  be  abandoned.  There  are  two  great 
reasons  why  this  study  is  difficult ;  one  is  because  of  a  mis- 
conception of  the  purpose  of  courtship  ;  the  other  is 
because  of  the  absence  of  candor  and  honesty  on  the  part  of 
both.  Very  many  courtships  are  begun  and  conducted 
for  the  sole  purpose  of  captivating  and  securing  the  person 
courted.  The  young  man  starts  to  woo  and  to  win  the 
maiden  whose  charms  have  attracted  him.  He  thinks  of 
nothing  else,  aims  at  nothing  else.  The  idea  of  studying 
her  to  see  if  she  be  a  suitable  life-companion  for  him  never 
enters  his  mind.  The  same  is  true  of  the  maiden  in  many 
cases.  Her  aim  is  to  lead  the  wooing  into  a  declaration 
of  love  and  a  proposition  of  marriage. 

Thus  inspired,  each  goes  to  work  to  conquer.  Each 
treats  the  other  dishonestly.  They  are  not  true  to  them- 
selves in  the  presence  of  each  other.  They  put  on  false 
characters.  They  practice  every  possible  art  of  deception 
for  the  concealment  of  their  real  character.  They  assume 
qualities  they  do  not  possess.  They  study  to  appear  bet- 
ter than  they  are,  to  be  what  each  discovers  the  other 


COURTSHIP.  267 

would  like  them  to  be.  They  seek  by  the  adornments  of 
dress,  by  the  blandishments  of  manners,  by  the  allure- 
ments of  smiles  and  honeyed  words,  by  the  fascinations  of 
pleasure  and  scenes  of  excitement,  to  add  unreal,  unpos- 
sessed charms  to  their  persons  and  characters.  They  study 
to  appear  in  each  other's  eyes  as  possessing  no  defects,  no 
blemishes,  no  flaws. 

They  succeed  in  deceiving  each  other.  They  marry 
under  this  delusion,  and  in  a  short  time  it  will  pass  away. 
There  is  no  longer  any  need  for  concealment  and  decep- 
tion. The  end  sought  has  been  attained.  Each  comes  to 
know  the  other.  Each  finds  the  other  to  be  very  differ- 
ent from  what  was  believed,  perhaps  wholly  unlike  the 
object  that  won  love.  Such  an  awakening  is  dreadful.  Is 
it  to  be  wondered  at  that  an  unhappy  marriage  follows? 
The  wonder  would  be  if  it  did  not. 

In  many  cases  the  inevitable  and  unalterable  is 
accepted  philosophically.  Each  accepts  the  new  being  mar- 
riage has  discovered,  and  genuine  love  grows  up  between 
them.  In  too  many  cases  this  is  not  possible  to  be  done, 
and  hence,  the  many  unhappy  marriages.  Many  of  these 
could  have  been  averted  had  the  courtship  been  conducted 
honestly  and  properly.  It  is  better  not  to  marry,  than  to 
marry  wretchedness  and  misery. 

The  very  importance  of  courtship  suggests  that  it  be 
not  allowed  to  commence  too  early  in  life.  It  embraces 
interests  that  demand  the  matured  mind  to  decide.  Court- 
ship for  the  mere  sake  of  courtship  —  that  begins  and  ends 
with  courtship  —  is  not  to  be  taken  into  account.  There 


268  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

is  no  such  thing.  Such  conduct  has  a  different  name 
altogether.  It  is  flirting,  and  demands  sentence  of 
condemnation  by  this  name. 

The  first  suggestion  is  not  to  think  of  this  all-important 
affair  too  soon,  nor  suppose  it  necessary  that  a  miss 
of  sixteen  or  seventeen  should  receive  special  atten- 
tion. The  period  of  courtship,  like  all  other  periods 
of  woman's  history,  is  limited  to  a  certain  number  of 
years,  and,  like  the  hand  on  the  dial  of  the  clock,  makes 
its  circuit,  no  matter  at  what  number  the  pendulum  is  put  in 
motion.  So  a  woman  will  have  her  years  of  love  or  match- 
making, no  matter  whether  she  begins  at  sixteen  or 
twenty.  Not  unfrequently  it  is  said  of  a  woman  of  twenty: 
"  I  know  she  is  twenty-five,  because  she  has  been 
having  beaux  for  five  or  six  years,"  forgetting  she 
regarded  herself  as  a  woman  entering  society  and  receiving 
company  at  fifteen. 

Do  not  court  the  subject,  nor  permit  your  imagination 
to  be  forever  dwelling  on  it.  Rather  drive  it  from  you 
than  draw  it  near.  Ever  repress  that  visionary  and 
romantic  turn  of  mind  which  looks  upon  the  whole  space 
that  lies  between  you  and  the  hymeneal  altar  as  a  dreary 
waste  ;  all  beyond,  a  paradise.  In  cases  innumerable,  the 
very  opposite  is  true,  and  the  exchange  of  a  father's  for  a 
husband's  home  has  been  like  the  departure  of  Eve  from 
the  Garden  of  Eden  to  a  wide,  uncultivated  wilderness. 

A  Greek  fable  says  that  some  stags,  whose  knees  were 
clogged  with  frozen  snow  upon  the  mountains,  came  down 
into  the  brooks  in  the  valleys,  hoping  to  thaw  their  joints 


COURTSHIP.  269 

in  the  waters  of  the  stream,  but  the  frost  bound  them  fast 
in  the  ice  till  the  herdsmen  took  them  in  their  stronger 
snare.  So  it  is  with  many  young  persons  ;  finding  many 
inconveniences  in  single  life,  they  descend  into  the  valley 
of  marriage,  only  to  refresh  their  trouble  and  multiply 
their  inconveniences.  They  enter  fetters,  and  are  bound 
to  sorrow  by  the  cords  of  man's  peevishness. 

Take  extreme  care  of  hasty  entanglements ;  neither 
give  nor  receive  particular  attentions,  until  the  matter  have 
been  well  weighed.  Rather  keep  your  affections  shut  up 
in  your  own  breast,  until  reason  and  judgment  command 
their  bestowal,  that  your  choice  may  be  one  of  prudence 
and  not  of  haste.  A  neglect  of  this  point,  until  you  have 
fallen  into  the  snare  of  an  imaginary  love,  weakens  your 
means  of  defense,  compromises  your  judgment,  and  makes 
you  an  easy  pray  to  the  craftiness  of  man. 

As  it  is  better  for  woman  to  defer  marriage  until 
between  twenty-two  and  twenty-five,  it  follows  that  court- 
ship ought  not  to  be  begun  earlier  than  twenty.  Her 
physical  nature  is  then  well  developed,  her  mind  matured  ; 
she  is  able  to  behold  and  appreciate  the  realities  of  life, 
and  if  she  bear  children  will  impart  to  them  the  inheri- 
tance of  maturity.  Now,  since  it  is  easier  to  demonstrate 
upon  purely  moral  and  physiological  principles,  the  disad- 
vantages and  improprieties  of  long  engagements,  it  is  but 
fair  to  conclude  that  courtship  should  not  commence 
within  the  limits  of  the  "  teens." 

Content  yourself  and  enjoy  the  blessed  privileges  of  a 
girl  in  the  domicile  of  your  mother.  Drink  the  sweets  of 


270  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

a  mother's  care,  protection  and  education,  that  you  may 
be  fully  armed  and  equipped  and  made  strong  for  the 
great  battle  of  life.  Be  sure  that  your  married  experiences 
will  come  soon  enough.  Marriage  is  for  matured  women, 
not  for  girls.  It  is  the  completed  life,  but  it  should  not 
encroach  on  the  domains  of  youth  and  happy  maiden- 
hood. 

How  to  Select  a  Husband. 

When  a  young  woman  arrives  at  the  age  when  it  is 
proper  for  her  to  contemplate  marriage,  three  queries  are 
said  to  present  themselves  to  her  mind  :  When  shall  I 
marry  ?  Who  will  marry  me  ?  Shall  I  marry  at  all  ?  To 
the  first  of  these  questions  attention  is  now  to  be  directed, 
with  the  hope  that  a  few  words  of  advice  may  enable  a 
young  woman  to  decide  the  question  more  in  harmony 
with  the  laws  of  physical  being  than,  unaided,  she  could 
do.  A  mistake  made  here  is  a  certain  prelude  to  a  life  of 
unhappiness,  positive  or  negative,  if  it  compel  her  to 
travel  the  voyage  of  life  in  company  with  an  ill-suited, 
uncongenial  companion  who  is  not  only  her  husband,  but 
the  father  of  her  children. 

Few  questions  meet  a  young  woman  that  are  more 
important  to  her  than  this  one  of  choosing  a  life 
companion.  The  relation  of  husband  and  wife  is  so  inti- 
mate and  complicated  that  its  happy  adjustment  outranks 
all  social  considerations,  and  stands  next  to  health  in 
securing  happiness  and  general  well-being.  There  are 
certain  conditions,  well-established  by  experience,  which 


HOW   TO    SELECT   A    HUSBAND.  2/1 

should  exist,  in  order  to  insure  the  largest  measure  of 
happiness  in  conjugal  relations.  Some  of  these  are 
physical  and  others  social  and  moral. 

Consanguinity. 

A  due  regard  must  be  given  to  the  degree  of  relation- 
ship by  blood  subsisting  between  the  parties  contem- 
plating marriage.  How  closely  related  persons  may  be 
to  marry  safely,  is  an  old  subject,  involving  long  and 
interesting  discussions.  Many  of  the  States  have  gone 
so  far  as  to  enact  statutes  forbidding  marriage  between 
persons  who  sustain  to  each  other  the  relation  of  first 
cousins.  Extensively  gathered  and  carefully  compiled 
statistics  are  shown  to  establish  the  fact  that  the  progeny 
of  this  degree  of  relationship  are  frequently  of  feeble 
constitution  and  susceptible  to  inherited  tendencies. 
Dr.  J.  G.  Spurgheim  says  that  "  scarcely  one  among  the 
royal  families  of  Europe,  who  have  married  in  and  in  for 
generations,  can  write  a  page  of  consecutive  sound  sense 
on  any  scientific,  literary  or  moral  subject."  Dr. 
Charles  Caldwell  says  :  "  One  cause  of  human  deteri- 
oration is  family  marriages.  It  has  almost  extinguished 
most  of  the  royal  families  of  Europe,  though  at  first 
they  were  the  notables  of  the  land  for  physical  strength 
and  for  force  of  mind  and  character."  Dr.  Buxton 
says  that  "  from  ten  to  twelve  per  cent,  of  the  deaf 
mutes  are  the  children  of  cousins.  In  one  hundred  and 
seventy  consanguinous  marriages,  were  two  hundred  and 
sixty-nine  deaf  or  dumb  children,  and  seven  in  one 


2/2  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

family."  Many  similar  instances  might  be  adduced  from 
equally  high  authority,  illustrating  the  evil  results  of 
persons  marrying  that  are  too  nearly  of  the  same  blood. 

The  author  can  say  that  his  own  observation  does  not 
coincide  with  the  testimony  given  above.  Intimate 
knowledge  of  a  great  many  marriages  between  first 
cousins  fails  to  show  anything  like  this  ratio  of  serious 
consequences.  While  it  is  always  better  not  to  marry 
within  such  close  degrees  of  relationship  as  this,  yet 
unqualified  condemnation  of  it  cannot  be  allowed. 
Cousins  who  are  married  happily  ought  not  to  be  made 
miserable  for  life  in  dread  of  having  defective  or  deficient 
offspring.  There  is  far  more  menace  in  taint  of  blood 
than  in  the  mere  relationship.  Where  this  herditary  pre- 
disposition exists,  whether  it  be  in  families  so  related  or 
in  any  other  family,  it  is  likely  to  develop  in  the  chil- 
dren. 

A  German  author  has  urged  the  propriety  of  consan- 
guineous unions  where  the  family  has  traits  of  mental  or 
physical  excellence,  as  a  means  of  further  developing 
these  qualities.  Sterility  is  urged  as  an  objection  to  the 
marriage  of  cousins,  the  assertion  being  made  that  such 
unions  are  less  productive  than  others.  Statistics  prove, 
however,  that  in  the  average  unions  one  in  eight  is 
barren,  while  between  cousins  only  one  in  ten.  Another 
objection  is  that  early  deaths  are  more  common.  But 
statistical  tables  show  that  whereas  fifteen  per  cent,  is  the 
general  death  average,  only  twelve  per  cent,  is  the  rate  in 
families  whose  parents  are  cousins.  This  general  truth, 


CONSANGUINITY.  273 

however,  it  is  well  to  keep  in  mind,  namely,  that  few 
families  are  wholly  free  from  some  lurking  predisposition 
to  serious  mental  or  physical  disorder  ;  and  it  is  not  wise, 
as  a  rule,  to  risk  the  development  of  this  by  too  oft 
repeated  unions.  Stock-breeders  who  have  had  large 
experience  in  raising  the  lower  animals  have  established 
the  rule  that  crossing  nearly-related  individuals  a  certain 
number  of  times  produces  the  best  specimens,  but,  if 
carried  beyond  this,  it  leads  to  degeneracy  and  sterility. 

Constitution. 

No  woman  should  seriously  consider  marriage  without 
including  one  of  its  essential  ends,  namely,  the  rearing  of 
a  family.  Considering  this,  she  will  also  think  how  greatly 
her  own  happiness  will  be  conserved,  her  burdens  lightened 
and  averted,  if  her  children  shall  be  sound  in  body  and 
mind.  The  man  she  marries  will  be  the  father  of  her 
children.  He  will  bequeath  to  them,  as  has  been  shown 
elsewhere  in  this  book,  the  constitution  which  he  himself 
possesses.  Though  she  herself  may  enjoy  perfect  health 
and  a  faultless  constitution,  she  cannot  expect  that  her 
children  will  be  equally  endowed  if  their  father  have  a 
shattered  constitution.  It  becomes,  therefore,  a  matter  of 
serious  import  to  her,  if  not  a  duty  to  herself  and  the  chil- 
dren she  may  bear,  to  study  the  health  of  the  man  she 
elects  to  marry.  It  is  not  a  cold  business  calculation, 
repugnant  to  the  highest  social  and  moral  sentiments  that 
obtain  in  accepting  a  husband  ;  on  the  contrary,  it  is  only 
a  justifiable  prudence  and  commendable  common  sense. 


274  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

There  is  but  one  life  to  lead  and  one  family  to  rear. 
This  life  should  be  made  as  full  of  light  anjd  happiness,  as 
free  from  care  and  sorrow,  as  it  is  possible  to  make  it, 
and  this  family  should  possess  the  highest  physical  and 
mental  endowments  which  it  is  possible  vfor  the  mother  to 
bestow.  For  these  reasons,  she  is  only  consulting  her  own 
best  interests  when  she  elects  to  join  her  life  with  one 
whose  physical  constitution  is  free  from  blemish  or  defect. 
The  constitution  of  the  possible  husband  can  be  ascer- 
tained. It  is  partly  a  matter  of  record  in  the  physical 
character  of  his  family.  It  will  be  no  impropriety  to 
scrutinize  this  family  through  at  least  the  previous  genera- 
tion. The  habits  of  the  husband  should  be  known  because 
of  their  effects  upon  his  physical  constitution.  If  he  have 
lived  recklessly  for  any  considerable  time  with  regard  to 
the  laws  of  health,  there  certainly  must  be  an  impaired 
constitution,  though  this  may  not  yet  evidence  itself  in  the 
health.  Continued  disobedience  to  the  principles  and  con- 
dition of  health  will  undermine  any  constitution,  however 
robust.  If  the  man  have  been  long  dissipated,  the  general 
constitution  is  affected  deleteriously.  He  may  now  be 
thoroughly  reformed  and  be  leading  an  upright  and  honor- 
able life;  in  such  condition  there  are  no  social  nor  moral 
objections  to  marriage,  but  there  are  causes  for  grave  fears 
from  a  physiological  point  of  view. 

It  can  be  repeated  that  the  young  woman  must  con- 
sider that,  in  choosing  a  husband,  she  is  ponditioning  the 
physical  interests  of  her  children.  She  may  be  willing,  so 
far  as  she  herself  is  concerned,  to  mate  with  a  physical 


CONSTITUTION.  275 

wreck  ;  but  she  has  no  moral  right  to  curse  her  children 
with  the  heritage  which  such  a  wreck  will  give.  She  owes 
a  duty  to  these  unborn  children  which  she  cannot  shirk 
nor  evade.  She  owes  a  duty  to  herself  as  a  member  of 
society  to  bless  it  with  good  members. 

Other  Qualities. 

There  are  other  natural  qualities  which  a  woman  should 
scrutinize  in  the  man  she  intends  to  marry.  Among  these 
are  health,  race,  temperament,  education,  habits,  etc.  In 
comparison  with  the  two  that  have  been  named  —  consan- 
guinity and  constitution  —  they  are  minor  considerations. 
Considered  alone,  out  of  relation,  they  are  by  no  means 
unimportant. 

A  woman  ought  not  to  marry  a  man  in  poor  health. 
No  man  in  that  situation  ought  to  ask  a  woman  to  marry 
him.  If  the  derangement  is  only  temporary,  they  both 
can  well  afford  to  wait.  If  it  be  chronic,  it  is  likely  the 
result  of  constitutional  defect,  and  what  was  said  in  the 
foregoing  will  apply.  There  are  several  good  reasons 
why  this  should  not  be  done.  One  is  that  no  man  is  at 
his  best  when  out  of  health.  He  cannot  give  that  atten- 
tion to  his  person  which  is  needed.  The  first  months  of 
marriage  have  an  important  bearing  on  the  feelings  which 
husband  and  wife  are  likely  to  cherish  toward  each  other 
for  a  long  time  afterwards,  perhaps  through  life. 

A  man  in  ill-health  is  not  so  patient,  so  kind,  so  con- 
siderate of  others,  so  forbearing,  as  he  is  at  other  times. 
It  has  already  been  said  that  there  is  ordinarily  a  revulsion 


276  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

in  the  feelings  of  a  man  toward  his  wife  in  the  first  few 
days.  In  this  condition  there  is  a  demand  for  the  exercise 
of  the  very  virtues  named  above  which  he  is  least  able  to 
exhibit.  He  is  likely  to  be  cross,  impatient,  selfish, 
thoughtless,  uncompanionable.  Seeing  him  thus,  the 
newly-made  wife,  herself  in  need  of  the  tenderest  care  and 
solicitude,  is  almost  irresistibly  impelled  to  a  feeling  of 
repugnance,  which  in  her  excited  condition,  is  likely  to 
tend  to  positive  disgust.  This  is  a  sad  state  in  which  to 
begin  conjugal  life.  A  barrier  may  be  erected  between 
husband  and  wife  that  it  will  require  years  to  remove. 

Still  another  reason  exists  in  the  fact  that  conception 
frequently  follows  the  first  approaches  of  the  newly 
married  couple.  It  is  not  desirable  from  any  point  of 
view  that  a  husband  should  become  a  father  when  his 
physical  condition  is  in  a  debilitated  condition.  For  her 
sake,  for  his  sake,  for  mutual  relation's  sake,  for  her 
children's  sake,  a  woman  should  not  marry  a  man  in 
ill  health. 

Women  generally  marry  men  who  are  of  the  same  race 
as  themselves.  There  are  many  social  reasons  why  this  is 
best.  There  are  race  characteristics  which  play  an  impor- 
tant place  in  determining  the  comfort,  pleasure  and  happi- 
ness of  marital  life.  The  union  of  two  persons  of  different 
nationality  is  likely  to  bring  into  contact  peculiarities  that 
are  antagonistic,  and  domestic  friction  certainly  ensues. 
It  need  not  be  so,  but  it  generally  is  so. 

But  there  are  no  physiological  objections,  to  the  inter- 
marriage of  different  races.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  fre- 


OTHER   QUALITIES.  2/7 

quently  of  the  greatest  advantage.  It  often  leads  to  a 
keener  intellectual  and  a  sounder  physical  development  in 
the  children  by  the  intermingling  of  diverse  races.  This 
has  been  shown  in  a  good  many  instances  in  the  crossing 
of  races  very  much  diverse,  as  when  an  Anglo-Saxon  or 
Frenchman  has  allied  himself  to  an  Indian  or  African 
woman.  Such  extreme  cases,  however,  are  not  to  be  consid- 
ered here.  But  it  is  quite  common  for  marriages  to  occur 
between  the  different  European  races,  with  marked  benefit, 
intellectually  and  physically.  It  is  seen  in  a  large  scale  in 
the  admixture  of  whole  nations  in  Europe  where  the 
amalgamated  succession  was  very  much  superior  to  either 
of  the  progenitors. 

Temperament  needs  to  be  considered.  The  best  gen- 
eral rule  to  lay  down  is,  that  persons  too  nearly  allied  in 
temperament  ought  not  to  marry.  Such  union  does  not 
in  any  degree  militate  against  the  mutual  affection  and 
happiness,  but  it  has  a  tendency  to  develop  constitutional 
weakness  in  the  children.  It  is  not  necessary  to  choose 
opposite  temperaments,  though  this  is  certainly  advanta- 
geous, but  only  to  avoid  too  great  similarity. 

It  seldom  occurs  that  a  woman  finds  the  highest  hap- 
piness in  allying  herself  to  a  man  who  is  her  intellectual 
inferior,  or  whose  education  is  inferior  to  hers.  It  would 
be  the  best  thing  of  course,  if  the  contracting  parties 
could  stand  on  an  equality  in  these  regards.  When  this  is 
not  the  case,  the  balance  is  best  secured  when  the  hus- 
band is  the  superior.  He  is  the  natural  as  well  as  the  legal 
head  of  the  house.  Women  naturally  look  up,  not  down, 


278  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

to  their  husbands.  When  the  later  condition  exists,  it  is 
almost  certain  to  tend  to  domestic  infelicity.  Just  in  pro- 
portion to  the  ignorance  and  inferiority  of  the  man,  so  will 
be  the  disrespect  of  the  wife  for  him,  and  so,  also,  will  be 
his  own  impatience,  irritability  and  intractability. 

No  woman  is  justified  in  joining  her  pure  life  to  that 
of  a  man  of  loose  or  vicious  habits.  It  is  not  to  be 
expected  that  a  man  will  be  found  who  is  perfect,  or  abso- 
lutely pure  and  clean.  Few  men  are  that.  But  there  are 
certain  habits  which  make  any  man  unfit  to  mate  with  a 
pure  woman.  A  great  many  young  women  are  seized  with 
the  semi-romantic  notion  that  they  can  marry  depraved 
men  and  reform  them.  The  experiment  succeeds  about 
once  in  a  thousand  times,  and  in  a  good  many  of  these 
exceptions  the  probabilities  are  that  the  man  would  have 
reformed  anyhow 

The  man  wh  .s  such  a  slave  to  his  passions  and 
appetites  that  he  will  not  abandon  these  habits  for  his  own 
sake,  or  for  that  of  the  girl  he  loves,  will  not  do  it  for  his 
wife's  sake.  It  depends,  indeed,  very  largely  on  the 
impelling  motive  to  the  objectionable  habit.  Men  are 
addicted  to  bad  habits  from  various  causes.  Sometimes  it  is 
from  an  excess  of  spirits  ;  again  from  mere  idle  curiosity  ; 
again  from  depraved  tastes  or  from  innate  lack  of  princi- 
ple. If  the  habits  result  from  the  former  causes,  they  will 
yield  to  changed  conditions  and  refining  influences;  if  from 
the  latter,  nothing  short  of  a  new  creation  will  avail  much. 
A  little  wise  discernment  will  discover  the  impelling  motive 
to  the  woman,  and  her  influence  during  courtship  will  dis- 
cover to  her  what  she  is  likely  to  accomplish  as  a  wife. 


QUALIFICATIONS   OF   A    HUSBAND.  2/9 


Qualifications  of  a   Husband. 

The  qualifications  that  have  been  considered  refer  to 
natural  and  physical  conditions.  There  are  certain  other 
traits  in  a  husband  which  the  young  woman  ought  to 
consider.  These  may  be  termed,  in  contradistinction  to 
the  others,  social  or  moral  qualities,  as  they  concern  more 
directly  social  and  moral  ends  in  married  life. 

Filial   Love. 

The  first  qualification  of  a  good  husband  is  love  of  his 
mother.  The  young  man  whose  heart  swells  not  with 
filial  pride  at  the  very  name  of  her  who  in  pain  and  sorrow 
brought  him  into  existence,  whose  watchful  care  exhausted 
itself  through  all  those  days  and  years  of  perilous  infancy 
and  childhood,  and  whose  soul  is  wrapped  up  in  his  health, 
happiness  and  prosperity,  will  not  make  a  kind  and  loving 
husband. 

He  should  not  only  love  his  mother,  but  the  whole 
household  should  feel  the  influence  of  his  refining  presence. 
His  sisters  should  be  objects  of  his  special  regard,  watch- 
fulness and  care.  The  influence  of  home  becomes  so 
stamped  upon  the  life,  character  and  disposition  of  a  boy, 
that  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  it  insidiously  develops  itself 
in  his  own  home.  If,  in  his  nursery,  passion  were  unre- 
strained, truth  not  adhered  to,  consistency  not  seen,  the 
youthful  mind  will  receive  the  impression,  and  future  life 
develop  it.  But,  if  in  his  home,  all  is  purity,  sincerity, 
truth,  contentment  and  love,  then  will  these  influences  be 
felt  upon  the  home  of  the  boy. 


28O  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

A  man  who  does  not  habitually  reverence  his  mother 
in  speech  and  conduct,  cannot  make  a  kind  husband.  It 
may  be  that  his  mother  is  not  amiable  —  some  mothers, 
unhappily,  are  not.  This  does  hot  affect  the  case  in  the 
least  so  far  as  outward  conduct  is  concerned.  The  man 
who  will  treat  his  mother  disrespectfully,  or  speak  of  her 
in  terms  of  reproach  or  indifference,  testifies  by  such 
actions  that  there  is  something  unnatural  in  his  moral  con- 
stitution. Love  for  a  mother  is  a  natural  instinct  of  the 
human  heart.  It  is  impossible  in  a  properly-  regulated 
mind  not  to  cherish  tender  thoughts  and  speak  in  respectful 
terms  of  the  mother. 

The  man  who  fails  in  these  regards  gives  evidence  of  a 
selfish  disposition.  He  is  the  one  who  will  look  upon  a 
wife  as  a  chattel,  designed  for  his  personal  comfort.  He 
can  respect  no  woman  profoundly  and  tenderly,  no  matter 
what  her  relation  to  him  may  be,  if  he  does  not  respect 
the  woman  to  whom,  above  all  others,  he  owes  the 
most. 

Kindness. 

A  kindly  disposition  and  habit  is  a  most  desirable 
quality  in  a  husband.  It  is  the  key-note  of  the  home- 
life.  This  disposition  in  the  husband  and  father  gives  tone 
to  the  household.  Kindness  in  the  heart  is  like  rose-leaves 
stored  away  in  a  drawer  to  perfume  and  sweeten  every 
object  around.  It  is  the  essential  principle  of  love,  since  it 
excites  to  bear  and  forbear,  and  to  busy  itself  in  little  acts 
calculated  to  do  good  to  others.  It  is  not  the  great  deeds 


QUALIFICATIONS    OF   A    HUSBAND.  28 1 

and  the  disposition  to  make  great  sacrifices,  that  condi- 
tion the  home  atmosphere,  so  much  as  the  little  acts  of 
daily  kindness  rendered.  Kindness  is  the  stimulant  and 
preservative  of  love.  It  is  impossible  to  resist  it.  It  is 
balm  to  a  bruised  spirit  and  health  to  a  sick  soul.  It 
refreshes  the  wearied  heart  like  the  gentle  shower  upon 
the  parched  earth. 

See  to  it  that  a  kind  heart  pulsates  in  his  manly  breast. 
Kindness  will  go  farther  and  bring  more  pleasure  and 
happiness  than  all  the  pride,  haughtiness  and  asperity  that 
can  be  assumed.  A  kind,  sympathizing  word  falls  from 
the  lips  like  dew-drops  upon  the  flower,  imparting  odors 
that  stimulate  the  drooping  spirit  in  a  woman's  breast. 

A  man  with  a  kind  and  affectionate  disposition  will 
always  find  friends,  or  easily  make  them,  while  the 
opposite  disposition  sees  only  enemies.  Kindness  is  one 
of  the  sweetest  gifts  in  Nature.  Like  the  pure  rays  of  an 
unclouded  sun  after  a  gentle  shower,  it  cheers  and  enlivens 
amidst  anger  and  sorrow.  It  is  essential  to  the  happiness 
and  well-being  of  every  family,  cheering  the  heart  of  the 
care-worn  wife,  giving  stimulus  to  her  sinking  spirit  and 
solace  to  her  aching  heart. 

Purity. 

No  quality  is  more  ennobling  in  a  man  or  woman  than 
that  of  purity  ;  nothing  is  more  repulsive,  or  unites  either 
more  closely  to  the  brute  creation,  than  impurity.  Purity 
in  its  most  comprehensive  application  to  the  life,  the 
character  and  the  soul,  should  be  sought  after  in  a  hus- 


282  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

band.  Without  it,  no  perfect  union,  no  complete  happi- 
ness, can  be  enjoyed.  It  is  a  law  of  physics  that  in  the 
material  world  evil  corrupts  the  good,  while  the  converse, 
unfortunately,  is  not  the  case.  Bring  two  perishable 
substances  in  contact,  the  one  sound  and  perfect,  the 
other  unsound  and  decaying,  and  the  good  will  be  con- 
taminated by  the  evil  and  ruined  by  it,  while  the  perfect 
will  have  no  power  of  arresting  the  destruction  of  the 
other.  Place  a  single  decaying  apple  in  a  bin  of  good 
fruit,  and  the  whole  will  be  destroyed.  It  may  be  a 
thousand  to  one,  but  the  one  will  conquer. 

In  some  degree  this  law  prevails  in  the  domain  of  mind. 
One  depraved  mind  and  soul  coming  in  constant  contact 
with  another  that  is  pure  and  chaste  has  the  advantage  in 
influence.  It  is  a.  proverb  that  one  bad  pupil  will  ruin  a 
whole  school  of  good  ones.  There  are  reasons  why  this  is 
so,  but  it  is  sufficient  to  admit  the  fact.  The  woman  of 
pure  mind  and  chaste  life  who  mates  herself  with  a  man 
not  possessing  these  qualities,  but  possessing  their 
opposites,  incurs  the  risk  of  two  evils.  One  is  that  in  the 
intimate  familiarity  of  conjugal  life  the  perfect  knowledge 
of  her  husband's  character  must  become  known  to  her. 
With  this  full  knowledge  there  will  be  a  shattering  to  dust 
of  the  idol  she  has  erected  in  her  own  mind,  and  before 
which  her  heart  had  bowed  in  affectionate  reverence. 
Herself  pure,  she  will  be  shocked  at  the  grossness  with 
which  she  finds  herself  united.  Following  this  shock  will 
come  a  loss  of  respect  and  reverence.  These  emotions 
disturbed,  there  must  inevitably  follow  a  shaking  of  the 


QUALIFICATIONS    OF   A    HUSBAND.  283 

affection  itself,  since  respect  is  the  foundation  of  all 
genuine,  lasting  affection.  Repugnance  and  alienation  are 
natural  and  easy  steps. 

The  other  danger  is  that  she  herself  will  suffer.  It  is 
sometimes  said,  half-jocosely  and  half-sneeringly,  and  yet 
with  a  great  deal  of  truth,  that  a  woman's  affections  are  so 
constituted,  that  the  meaner  and  baser  the  object  of  affec- 
tion becomes,  the  more  tenderly  it  is  loved  and  cherished. 
It  is  only  a  half  truth,  but  it  is  that.  Granting  this  much, 
it  is  easy  to  see  how  the  wife  will  suffer  degradation 
through  her  tenacious  affection  for  a  depraved  husband. 
He  is  naturally  the  stronger  ;  she  the  weaker.  He  leads  ; 
she  follows.  He  is  bad  ;  she  good —  and  therefore  the 
tendency  is  for  her  to  go  to  him.  Morally  she  is  above 
him;  but  gravitation  tends  downward.  Human  nature,  at 
its  best,  is  depraved.  It  is  easier  to  go  down  than  to  go 
up.  It  is  easier  .to  pollute  a  pure  mind  than  it  is  to 
refine  and  elevate  an  impure  one. 

There  are  few  men  and  women  of  middle  life  who  can- 
not call  up  in  memory  instances  in  which  pure-souled 
girls  of  early  acquaintance  who,  through  mesalliance  in 
marriage,  have  degraded  into  coarse,  offensive,  repugnant 
women.  On  the  other  hand,  the  cases  are  rare  wherein 
such  a  marriage  has  resulted  in  the  redemption  of  the 
husband  and  his  elevation  to  the  refined  plane  on  which 
his  wife  moved  at  marriage.  There  are  such  cases,  cer- 
tainly, but  they  are  few  in  comparison  with  those  that 
have  eventuated  diversely.  There  is  a  romantic  notion 
cherished  by  many  girls  in  their  teens  that  they  will  marry 


284  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

men  and  reform  them.  It  is  generally  but  a  bit  of  cheap 
sentimentalism,  and  those  who  are  beguiled  by  it  are  not, 
ordinarily,  strong  enough  mentally  or  morally  to  accom- 
plish the  end,  even  where  it  may  be  possible. 

Marriage  is  too  serious  a  matter  for  sentimental  experi- 
ments. It  is  too  profound  and  far-reaching  in  its  influ- 
ence on  the  life  and  happiness  of  any  woman  to  warrant 
her  indulging  an  experiment  or  taking  any  unnecessary 
risks.  The  time  to  decide  these  questions  concerning  the 
character  of  a  husband  is  before  marriage,  not  after. 
Then  it  is  too  late.  She  has  taken  this  man  for  better  or 
for  worse  ;  and  if  it  be  the  latter,  she  must  abide  by  it.  The 
time  of  courtship  is  the  opportunity  for  discerning  the 
character  and  deciding  the  result. 

No  woman  contemplating  marriage  is  justified  in 
deciding  to  ally  her  life  with  that  of  a  man  whose  life  has 
been  impure,  or  whose  soul  is  base  and  sensuous.  It  is 
not  an  easy  matter  for  the  maiden  to  fully  discern  the 
character  of  her  lover.  But  it  is  not  difficult.  It  requires 
only  ordinary  observation  and  discernment.  The  mind 
filled  with  impurity  will  betray  itself  in  a  hundred  ways, 
and  by  tokens  that  cannot  be  misunderstood.  Shun  the 
base  soul  as  you  would  the  deadly  contagion.  Avoid  all 
possibility  of  realizing  the  dark  picture  that  has  been  por- 
trayed by  refusing  to  unite  your  fair,  pure  life  with  one 
that  is  smirched  with  the  pollution  of  an  impure  life  or 
soul.  Give  your  life  into  the  keeping  of  no  man  save  his 
whose  mind  is  pure  and  whose  life  is  clean. 

There  are  many  such  men.  Despite  all  the  harrowing 
tales  that  are  daily  recounted  in  the  history  of  human  lives 


QUALIFICATIONS  OF   A    HUSBAND.  285 

/ 

of  depravity  and  wickedness  of  men,  the  majority  of  men 
with  whom  young  women  of  taste  and  refinement  associate 
are  clean.  The  very  fact  that  a  young  man  finds  delight 
in  the  society  of  pure  women  argues  for  his  own  purity 
of  heart.  The  vile  do  not  seek  the  good  persistently. 
Soul  seeks  its  congenial  soul.  Besides,  it  is  to  be  remem- 
bered that  for  every  case  of  evil  that  comes  to  public 
notice  there  are  a  hundred  that  remain  unnoted — unnoted 
because  they  have  done  no  wrong.  The  man  who  goes 
astray  attracts  attention,  because  it  is  something  unusual. 
The  exceptions  are  always  more  prominent  than  those 
which  conform  to  rule.  No  woman  need  marry  a  man  of 
coarse  mind  and  depraved  life  because  there  are  not  scores 
of  better  men  to  be  found. 

Temperance. 

No  characteristic  should  be  more  rigidly  insisted  upon 
in  a  husband  than  that  he  be  temperate.  The  man  who 
has  acquired  the  drink-habit,  no  matter  what  his  other 
qualifications  may  be,  is  not  the  man  for  a  woman  to 
marry.  No  evil  is  more  prevalent,  more  wide-spread, 
more  destructive  of  all  that  renders  life  enjoyable  and 
desirable  than  that  of  intemperance.  It  ruins  body  and 
soul  alike.  It  numbers  its  victims  by  the  thousands,  and 
selects  them  from  the  noblest  as  well  as  from  the  lowest 
walks  of  life.  It  attacks  men  under  the  guise  of  friendship, 
worms  itself  into  their  confidence,  steals  away  their  reason, 
undermines  their  resolution,  influences  their  passions, 
entraps  their  senses,  and  sweeps  away  the  bulwarks  of  their 


286  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD 

purity  and  honor.  Alcohol  is  a  foe  to  the  human  race  so 
subtle  and  powerful  that  it  destroys  the  very  humanity  of 
man  ;  vitiates  all  the  mental  processes  of  those  who  indulge 
in  it,  degrades  morals,  induces  pauperism  and  crime  in 
individuals  and  communities  in  the  superlative  degree, 
when  compared  with  all  other  causes,  corrupts  the  home 
into  a  hell,  and  wasts  the  material  resources  with  a  lavish 
and  remorseless  hand. 

Its  history  is  the  history  of  misery  and  vice  and  crime 
and  woe  and  wretchedness  throughout  the  world.  Its  names 
are  legion,  and  its  forms  without  number.  It  varies  in 
hue  as  the  color  of  the  rainbow,  and  in  taste  to  suit  all 
palates  ;  sparkling  in  wine-cups,  foaming  in  tankards, 
creaming  in  bowls,  it  weaves  a  spell  of  enchantment 
around  the  young,  the  gay  and  the  thoughtless,  and  leads 
them  by  gentle  witchery,  until  their  feet  are  bound  with  a 
cord  of  seven-fold  brass.  No  siren  is  more  seductive,  no 
music  more  captivating  than  the  ruining  wiles  of  alcohol. 
Eloquence  has  been  laid  under  tribute  to  proclaim  its 
virtues,  poetry  has  wreathed  for  it  a  garland  of  roses, 
while  mirth  and  wit  have  crowned  it  king  of  all  good 
fellowship. 

But,  in  the  end,  "  it  biteth  like  a  serpent  and  stiugeth 
iike  an  adder."  The  cup  that  sparkles  with  brilliant  hues 
which  captivate  the  eye,  and  whose  hidden  power  fires 
the  veins  with  fever  and  life,  has  a  dreg  that  is  the  poison 
of  death.  He  who  drinks  for  pleasure  will  drink  again  for 
passion  ;  he  who  drinks  for  passion  will  drink  again  for 
madness  ;  he  who  drinks  for  madness  will  drink  again  for 
death  and  hell. 


QUALIFICATIONS   OF   A   HUSBAND.  287 

From  every  point  of  view,  it  is  hazardous  for  a  woman 
to  join  her  life  to  one  who  is  intemperate  in  his  habits. 
She  is  committing  her  happiness  into  the  keeping  of  one 
who  is  not  his  own  master,  but  who  is  the  slave  of  a 
demon  that  knows  no  mercy,  no  relentment,  no  remorse. 
She  is  entering  upon  a  future  that  is  dark  and  threatening 
for  her  comfort,  peace  and  material  enjoyment.  She  is 
electing  for  the  father  of  her  children  one  whose  veins 
are  poisoned  with  a  venom  that  pervades  every  globule, 
and  which  will  be  bequeathed  to  the  children  she  may 
bear.  Every  consideration  of  wisdom  and  prudence  urges 
upon  her  to  avoid  such  an  alliance.  The  skies  may  be 
bright  about  her  and  the  tempter  may  whisper  to  her  silly 
heart  that  there  is  no  danger  ;  he  is  not  like  other  men  ; 
he  will  never  be  different  from  what  he  is  now.  There  is 
danger.  Experience,  a  thousand  times  repeated,  declares 
in  tones  that  cannot  be  drowned  or  misinterpreted,  that 
there  is  always  danger  ahead  of  the  man  who  is  intem- 
perate. History  and  observation  alike  decree  that  all 
men  are  alike  who  come  under  the  domination  of  appetite. 
Stronger  and  better  men  than-  he  who  now  fills  all  the 
maiden's  life  and  desires,  have  fallen  so  low  in  the  scale  of 
humanity  that  nothing  remained  but  a  bloated  and  dis- 
figured form. 

The  demon  of  drink  will  not  let  its  victims  alone.  He 
will  entice,  cajole  or  drive  until  he  have  them  wholly  in 
hand,  and  then  he  will  rush  them  headlong  into  the  abyss 
of  ruin.  He  debauched  Noah  ;  he  cursed  Canaan  ;  he 
brought  down  the  divine  maledictions  again  and  again 


288  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

upon  Israel.  He  has  sat  in  the  cabinets  of  kings  and  in 
the  halls  of  legislation  ;  he  has  murdered  armies  and  over- 
thrown states  ;  he  has  inspired  plots  and  intrigues  and 
crimes  in  every  nation,  in  every  clime,  at  every  time,  and 
among  all  peoples.  And  he  is  stronger,  more  seductive, 
more  ravenous  and  more  agressive  to  day  than  ever 
before.  No  class,  no  age,  no  sex  is  safe  from  his  power 
if  once  a  pause  is  made  to  dally  or  parley  with  him. 
There  is  no  safety  except  in  entire  abstinence  from  any 
toying  with  the  tempter.  No  warning  can  be  made  too 
emphatic  against  committing  the  keeping  of  life,  peace, 
comfort  and  happiness  to  one  who  is  in  any  degree  under 
the  power  of  this  demon. 

Industry  and  Frugality. 

These  are  twin  virtues.  They  should  co-exist.  With- 
out either,  no  man,  however  opulent  he  may  be  in  the 
present,  has  a  certain  guaranty  against  want  and  poverty 
in  the  future.  Dissevered,  each  is  weak.  Where  one 
exists  without  the  other,  the  life  becomes  like  a. sieve  or  a 
treadmill  —  gaining  much  but  losing  as  much  —  or  a  con- 
tinual grind  with  little  comfort  and  enjoyment.  'But  where 
the  two  qualities  are  found  in  a  man,  a  safe  and  comfortable 
future  is  assured.  He  may  never  become  wealthy  ;  but 
this  is  not  to  be  always  desired.  He  is  certain  to  acquire 
a  competence. 

It  is  the  husband's  part  to  provide  his  wife  with  a 
home  and  maintain  the  same.  It  is  the  wife's  place  to 
make  that  home  happy.  Marriage  is  too  sacred  a  step  to 


QUALIFICATIONS   OF   A   HUSBAND.  289 

contemplate  wholly  from  a  material  standpoint.  "  Marry- 
ing for  a  home  "  is  as  much  to  be  condemned  as  "  marrying 
for  love,"  and  nothing  else.  At  the  same  time,  marriage 
is  by  far  too  serious  a  step,  and  too  far-reaching  in  its 
influence  upon  a  woman's  life  for  her  to  totally  disregard 
all  material  prospects.  It  is  her  right  and  duty  to  herself 
to  demand  that  the  man  who  solicits  her  to  go  into  his 
home  as  its  mistress,  shall  have  the  qualities  which  insure 
a  permanence  to  that  home,  as  well  as  a  provision  for  its 
continued  maintenance. 

This  is  not  degrading  marriage.  On  the  contrary,  it  is 
placing  it  upon  a  plane  of  reasonable  common  sense.  Too 
often  are  young  women  liable  to  underestimate  or  to  over- 
estimate the  present  condition  of  the  man  who  asks  them 
in  marriage.  The  practical  but  near-sighted  maiden  will 
say,  he  has  nothing  but  his  trade.  She  forgets  to  note 
that  he  is  not  only  a  skillful  workman,  but  is  industrious 
and  energetic  in  his  work,  temperate  and  frugal  in  his 
habits.  Therefore,  she  decides  that  she  cannot  join  her 
lot  with  his,  dreading  the  uncertain  future.  Another  will 
say,  he  has  a  good  home  and  a  competence.  She  neg- 
lects to  note  how  this  home  was  secured  or  this  competence 
accumulated.  She  also  fails  to  observe  that  his  industry 
is  spasmodic,  or  has  no  existence  at  all,  and  that  he  is 
lavish  and  extravagant  in  his  expenditures. 

A  decade  or  two  roll  by.  The  first-named  man  at 
middle  life  is  honored,  respected,  with  a  comfortable  home, 
a  competence  accumulated,  and  enjoys  a  happy  lot.  The 
other  has  made  no  advance,  and  perhaps  has  frittered  away 


290  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

in  idleness  and  extravagance  all  that  he  had  a  score  of 
years  before.  Cases  like  these  are  known  to  everybody. 
The  sequence  follows  legitimately  in  each  case.  The 
maiden  must  be  wise  as  well  as  practical.  She  must,  if 
she  would  reach  a  safe  conclusion,  not  only  look  at  the 
present,  but  at  the  factors  which  exist  in  the  life  of  her 
lover,  and  trace  the  operation  of  these  to  the  logical  con- 
clusion. Industry  and  economy  will,  other  things  remain- 
ing the  same,  succeed  in  the  race  of  life  ;  whereas,  the 
lack  of  these  even  with  opulence  will  inevitably  bring 
want.  Possessing  the  qualities  above-named,  and  all 
other  things  satisfactory,  the  absence  of  any  considerable 
means  whereby  to  support  a  family,  need  not  deter.  The 
strong  right  arm  of  that  man,  nerved  by  love  for  his  wife, 
will  hew  a  way  for  himself  and  for  her  that  will  land  them 
in  a  comfortable  old  age. 

Aside  from  the  considerations  named,  a  woman  should 
desire  her  husband  to  be  industrious  and  frugal,  for  physi- 
ological and  moral  reasons.  Such  a  man  is  likely  to  enjoy 
better  health  and  incur  less  temptation  to  fall  into  offen- 
sive and  ruinous  vices.  Idleness  is  the  parent  .of  vice  ; 
industry,  of  virtue.  Industry  is  a  condition  of  contentment, 
and  contentment  is  happiness.  Industry  and  virtue  are 
correlative.  Virtue,  says  one,  keeps  its  possessor  to  his 
daily  task,  and  his  daily  task  keeps  him  to  virtue.  Experi- 
ence and  observation  amply  corroborate  the  truth  of 
the  apothegm.  The  industrious  and  economical  man  is  a 
better  man  than  the  idler  and  spendthrift.  He  is  more 
cheerful,  pleasant  and  happy.  He  creates  a  better  home 


QUALIFICATIONS   OF   A   HUSBAND.  291 

atmosphere,  is  less  selfish  and  more  helpful  and  consider- 
ate of  others.  He  may  be  prosaical,  but  he  is  honest ;  he 
may  be  plain,  but  he  is  pure  minded.  He  has  no  time  for 
the  tempter.  He  is  too  busy  to  form  evil  associations, 
cherish  extravagant  dreams,  or  indulge  vicious  appetites. 
But  in  the  long  race  of  life  he  is  a  certain  winner.  In  the 
sober,  practical  realities,  he  is  a  sure  defense  and  reliance. 
Happy  is  the  maiden  whose  heart  has  been  given  to  such 
a  man.  He  will  fill  all  her  life  with  sterling  joys  and  sub- 
stantial blessings. 

Business. 

Closely  associated  with  and  assumed  in  industry  and 
frugality  must  be  found  the  possession  of  some  legitimate 
means  of  making  a  living.  No  man  has  any  warrant  for 
expecting  success,  no  matter  what  his  parts  may  be,  who 
has  not  mastered  some  particular  trade  or  profession.  This 
was  rigidly  insisted  upon  among  the  ancients.  No  matter 
how  opulent  a  father  might  be,  he  made  each  of  his  sons 
elect  some  business  calling,  and  thoroughly  master  it  in 
all  its  details.  The  intention  was  that  if  ever  the  contin- 
gencies of  the  future  should  deprive  the  young  man  of  his 
patrimony,  he  would  not  be  helpless  ;  he  would  have  the 
means  of  subsistence  in  the  skill  of  his  hands.  It  was  a 
wise  provision,  and  the  necessity  for  it  still  exists. 

A  man  with  versatile  accomplishments,  yet  no  specialty, 
is  a  very  uncertain  creature.  He  can  do  a  little  of  every- 
thing, but  a  good  deal  of  nothing.  An  English  writer  of 
position  says  truthfully  :  "  Versatility  seldom  pays.  "  He 


292  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

meant  that  it  seldom  leads  its  possessor  to  any  great  or 
desirable  success.  It  makes  a  very  companionable  sort  of 
a  man.  But  a  man  who  sets  up  a  home  of  his  own  and 
asks  a  woman  to  take  the  risks  of  Ijfe  with  him,  must  be 
more  than  a  pleasant  companion.  He  is  to  be  the  archi- 
tect and  builder  of  the  family's  fortune.  He  must  not 
only  be  industrious  and  thrifty,  but  must  have  some 
specific  channel  in  which  these  qualities  can  find  successful 
occupation. 

"  But,"  says  the  young  woman,  "  I  intend  to  marry  for 
love."  What  do  you  mean  by  this  expression?  Is  it  love 
in  the  abstract?  The  voluptuous,  physical  part  of  your 
being  is  the  only  monitor  that  guides  you  in  laying  a  foun- 
dation for  home  and  all  future  enjoyment.  He  is  to  be 
regarded  of  paramount  admiration  that  lays  hold  on  life 
and  business  as  if  he  had  a  mission  in  the  world,  and 
intended  to  discharge  it  with  fidelity  ;  who  is  among  the 
working  bees  in  the  hive  of  business,  not  a  drone  upon 
society.  Thousands  of  young  women  rush  .blindly  into 
matrimony,  taking  it  for  granted  that  he  who  professes  so 
much  love  and  attachment  will  provide  for  the  current 
wants  of  the  family,  without  stopping  to  ask  whether  or 
not  he  has  any  way  of  doing  it.  Every  young  man,  before 
he  undertakes  the  obligation  of  a  household,  should  acquire 
a  trade,  a  business  that  will  insure  at  least  a  comfortable 
living  for  those  dependent  upon  him. 

Young  woman,  if  the  man  who  is  offering  you  his 
hand  in  this  holy  covenant  have  no  well-defined  business, 
or  if  he  have,  and  do  not  possess  the  proper  energy  and 


QUALIFICATIONS   OF   A   HUSBAND.  293 

industry  to  follow  it,  look  him  squarely  in  the  face  and 
ask  him  with  all  sincerity  :  "  What  do  you  intend  to  do 
with  me  ?  " 

The  propounding  of  such  a  question  implies  no  doubt 
of  his  affection  or  intent.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  evidence 
of  the  profoundest  interest  and  confidence  in  him  that  you 
can  ask  such  a  question.  No  sensible  man  will  be 
offended  with  you.  He  will  esteem  you  all  the  more 
highly  for  the  good,  common  sense  you  display.  He,  if 
he  be  a  man  worthy  to  be  a  husband,  is  seeking  a  com- 
panion, a  helpmeet  for  himself;  one  who  is  willing  to 
engage  in  the  battle  of  life  with  him  and  bear  equally  its 
burdens. 

The  man  who  has  no  trade  or  profession  is  in  a  sad 
plight.  He  is  practically  a  helpless  member  of  society 
He  is  an  incumberance  in  the  home  of  which  he  should  be 
the  life  and  support.  He  is  wholly  without  excuse.  In 
this  wide-spread  and  expanding  country,  no  one  need  be 
without  some  legitimate  business.  All  trades  and  profes- 
sions are  open  to  the  man  who  has  the  skill  and  energy  to 
go  in  and  occupy.  Men  and  women  without  a  business 
are  the  pests  of  society.  They  are  thieves,  stealing  what 
is  not  their  own  ;  beggars,  eating  what  they  have  not 
earned  ;  drones,  wasting  the  fruit  of  others'  industry  ; 
leeches,  sucking  the  life-blood  of  others  ;  evil-doers,  set- 
ting an  example  of  idleness  and  dishonest  living  ;  hypo- 
crites, shining  in  stolen  and  false  colors  ;  vampires,  eating 
out  the  life  of  the  community. 


MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 


Aside  from  the  fact  that  a  certain  definite  business  is 
demanded  in  order  to  insure  against  all  the  contingencies 
of  the  unknown  future,  there  exists  another  reason  why  a 
woman  should  hesitate  to  marry  such  a  man.  The  lack  of 
a  specific  business  is  an  indication  of  character  that  ought 
not  to  be  ignored.  It  means  either  the  man  was  too  indo- 
lent and  imprudent  through  a  lack  of  necessity  to  provide, 
by  this  means,  for  his  maintenance  ;  in  which  case,  what 
was  said  in  a  previous  chapter  should  be  considered.  Or 
it  indicates  a  lack  of  persistence  and  singleness  of  aim,  so 
essential  to  any  great  success.  Many  young  men  fritter 
'away  the  time  of  trade-learning  in  doing  nothing. 
They  waste  the  golden  time  of  youth  in  endless  changes 
and  wanderings.  They  try  this  thing  and  that,  and  go 
on  to  another.  They  cannot  settle  their  minds  to  do  one 
thing,  but  must  be  continually  trying  everything  that 
comes  to  hand.  They  look  at  a  hundred  things  and  see 
nothing  ;  whereas  if  they  looked  only  at  one  thing  they 
would  see  it,  and  see  it  distinctly.  They  grasp  at  random 
at  many  things  and  catch  nothing.  And  so  they  find  them- 
selves ready  to  marry  and  yet  have  no  special  business  on 
which  to  support  a  wife. 

This  variableness  indicates  instability  of  character.  It 
is  a  weakness.  Such  men  would  hardly  succeed  even 
under  the  most  favorable  circumstances,  while  ordinarily 
they  stand  no  show  at  all.  One  trade  well  understood  is 
worth  more  than  a  half  knowledge  of  a  score  of  trades.  It 
is  excellence  that  is  always  in  demand  in  the  market.  The 
skilled  workman  can  always  find  something  to  do. 


QUALIFICATIONS   OF   A   HUSBAND.  295 

Jealousy. 

There  are  some  men  excellent  in  every  regard,  but 
who  are  unfortunate  enough  to  be  afflicted  with  a  sort  of 
insanity  regarding  the  woman  to  whom  they  have  given 
their  affection  and  whom  they  desire  to  marry.  They  are 
jealous-minded.  Such  a  disposition  is  greatly  to  be 
deplored.  It  leads  to  most  deplorable  unhappiness  in  the 
lot  of  a  wife  whose  husband  is  afflicted  in  this  way.  He 
is  chronically  unhappy  himself,  and  she  is  equally  so. 
The  jealous  man  insults  his  wife  every  moment  of  her  life. 
Chaste,  upright  and  sensitive,  how  galling  it  must  be  to 
her  to  be  subjected  to  suspicions,  and  surveillance  and 
espionage  ?  No  sensitive  spirit  can  brook  such  treat- 
ment. 

Silly  and  unreasonable  as  this  trait  is,  it  has  been  the 
cause  of  untold  misery  in  many  homes,  and  has  led  to 
domestic  infidelity  and  ruin  in  numberless  cases.  Not 
infrequently  it  has  driven  the  wife  into  crime,  or  insanity, 
or  the  grave  ;  and  the  husband  who  harbors  the  feeling  to 
inebriation,  to  gambling,  or  to  murder.  It  indicates  a 
small  mind,  an  unreasonable  disposition  and  a  passionate 
spirit.  These  are  not  the  traits  to  insure  domestic  peace, 
tranquility  and  happiness.  On  the  contrary,  they  are  the 
fruitful  source  of  broils,  and  misery  and  wretchedness  and 
woe. 

Be  sure  that  no  jealous  blood  courses  through  his 
veins.  Jealousy  is  that  fiend  of  human  happiness  that 
destroys  thousands  of  families,  poisoning  the  atmosphere 


296  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

of  domestic  bliss.  It  plucks  the  rose  from  the  cheek  of 
beauty  ;  it  withers  the  laurel  in  the  crown  of  happiness, 
and  makes  general  havoc  in  all  the  social  relations  of  life. 
Treason,  murder  and  suicide  follow  in  the  train  of  this 
demon  spirit,  preying  upon  the  vitals  of  self-government, 
grinding  the  blade  that  shall  pierce  the  bosom  of  her  who 
has  plighted  her  all  upon  the  nuptial  altar. 

Of  all  the  passions,  jealousy  exacts  the  hardest  service, 
and  pays  the  bitterest  wages.  As  you  value  your  life  and 
all  earthly  happiness,  cut  short  your  acquaintance  with 
the  man  who  watches  in  unrest  and  with  scrutinizing  gaze 
your  every  movement  in  the  social  circle  ;  whose  face 
reddens  with  suspicion  at  beholding  a  stray  ring  upon 
your  finger  or  an  unknown  picture  in  your  album.  If 
jealousy  lurk  in  his  bosom,  so  sure  will  misery  dwell  in 
his  home. 

Morality  and  Religion. 

Never  seriously  consider  a  proposition  of  marriage 
from  a  man  who  does  not  possess  a  substantial  moral  char- 
acter and  a  religious  veneration.  Morality  and  religion 
are  the  foundation  of  all  true  character.  The  man  who 
has  no  sensitive  regard  for  right  because  it  is  right,  and 
God  because  He  is  God,  is  no  proper  custodian  of  a 
woman's  life,  reputation  and  happiness.  He  is  not  the  man 
that  any  woman  should  elect  to  be  the  father  of  her  chil- 
dren and  their  guide  in  tender  years.  No  excellencies  that 
a  man  possesses  can  atone  for  the  lack  of  these  qualities. 
He  may  have  graces  and  accomplishments,  wealth  and 


QUALIFICATIONS   OF   A   HUSBAND.  297 

standing,  talent  and  power ;  but  if  he  lack  a  sensitive 
moral  nature  and  an  enlightened  conscience,  he  lacks  what 
makes  everything  else  desirable. 

All  the  investigations  of  modern  science,  in  respect  to 
crime,  have  established  the  fact  that  its  mental  and  moral 
qualities  are  hereditary  ;  a  thief,  a  robber,  or  murderer 
imparts  like  propensities  to  his  offspring.  The  criminal 
classes  in  all  countries  have  sprung  from  the  marriage  of 
wicked  and  vicious  persons.  Through  this  channel,  not- 
withstanding the  efforts  of  the  State  to  reform,  criminals 
increase  in  a  greater  ratio  than  the  population. 

Frequently  young  men  who  have  spoiled  themselves 
by  a  career  of  vice  and  crime  are  most  particular  in  respect 
to  the  character  of  those  whom  they  seek  to  marry,  and 
are  very  watchful  in  selecting  for  wives  pure,  young  and 
inexperienced  girls,  totally  ignorant  of  the  vices  of  the 
world.  Occasionally  such  unions  have  a  beneficial 
effect,  the  influence  of  the  purity  and  virtue  of  the  one 
predominating  over  the  tendency  to  vice  in  the  other  ;  but 
such  cases  are  extremely  rare.  "  Can  a  man  take  fire  to  his 
bosom  and  not  be  burned?"  The  young  woman,  once 
pure  and  good,  is  either  contaminated  by  contact  with  one 
who  is  wholly  demoralized  and  defiled  by  sin,  or  her  very 
existence  becomes  wretchedness  and  misery.  Instead  of 
enjoying  those  noble  qualities  of  soul  which  she  ought  to 
admire  and  respect,  she  finds  naught  but  selfishness, 
sensuality  and  moral  corruption. 

Do  not  risk  your  happiness  on  missionary  experiment, 
and  marry  a  man  who  is  known  to  be  of  bad  character 


298  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

with  the  idea  that  you  can  reform  him.  This  herculean 
task  may  be,  indeed,  accomplished,  but  quite  too  frequently 
the  reformation  is  only  feigned,  and  the  man  who  promised 
in  the  days  of  his  courtship  to  be  his  wife's  highest  ideal  of 
pure  and  noble  manhood,  lapses  only  deeper  into  the  slums 
of  moral  corruption  where  evil  practices  for  years  have  held 
him.  The  man  who  holds  out  to  a  woman,  as  an  induce- 
ment to  marry,  the  opportunity  to  reform  him,  is  usually 
unprincipled.  He  who  really  wishes  a  reformation  should 
start  on  that  high  road  himself,  and  pursue  it  until  the  work 
is  fully  accomplished,  before  any  woman  should  enter  with 
him  into  such  an  important  and  lasting  relation. 

The    Right  Time  to    Manny. 

This  is  a  matter  of  comparatively  little  importance.  It 
will  depend  largely  upon  the  social  condition  of  those 
entering  into  the  marriage  relation.  A  time  of  year 
should  be  selected  which  affords  the  most  leisure.  The 
real  enjoyment  of  the  honeymoon  will  depend  on  entire 
freedom  from  business  cares  and  concerns. 

In  the  country  the  autumn  generally  brings  a  long 
season  of  comparative  inactivity.  When  the  harvest  is 
garnered  and  the  fruits  of  the  season  gathered  in,  no 
pressing  demands  are  made  upon  the  time.  There  is 
leisure  to  enjoy  such  social  amusements  as  may  be  had. 
The  new  home  can  be  set  up  and  its  arrangements  made 
without  such  haste  as  makes  the  task  a  burden,  or  without 
encroaching  upon  time  that  ought  to  be  given  to  other 
things.  Nothing  so  delights  a  husband  and  wife  as  the 


THE   RIGHT   TIME  TO    MARRY.  299 

arrangement  of  a  new  home.  It  is  also  necessary  at  the 
outset  of  the  new  life  to  establish  social  relations  with  the 
community  in  which  they  are  to  dwell.  It  most  frequently 
happens  that  a  wife  is  brought  to  a  new  community.  It 
is  exceedingly  advisable  that  her  husband  be  much  with 
her  in  receiving  the  friends  that  may  ca.ll,  and  in  assisting 
her  in  the  returns  made.  It  will  relieve  her  embarrassment 
and  more  readily  establish  an  easy  footing.  He  may, 
perchance,  by  a  word  of  caution  or  counsel,  enable  her  to 
avoid  making  blunders  that  would  not  only  be  annoying, 
but  injure  her  future  relations  in  the  community. 

Reference  to  the  statistics  of  the  country  on  this  point 
reveal  the  fact  that  spring  and  fall  are  usually  the  times 
selected.  There  are  some  reasons  that  are  indicated  from 
the  teachings  of  Nature  that  would  point  to  springtime  as 
the  more  commendable.  This  is  the  period  generally 
selected  by  the  lower  animals  as  the  time  for  mating, 
which  may  be  a  significant  suggestion  to  the  human 
family.  At  least,  some  have  t?ken  advantage  of  it  as  an 
argument  favoring  marriage  at  this  time.  They  follow  it 
with  the  additional  reason  that,  in  the  case  of  a  birth 
within  the  year,  the  child  will  have  attained  sufficient  age 
to  resist  the  disorders  of  teething  before  the  approach  of 
the  second  summer. 

It  is  well,  at  least,  to  avoid  as  much  as  possible  the 
extremes  of  heat  and  cold,  as  both  wear  heavily  upon  the 
physical  organism.  Every  advantage  of  season  possible 
should  be  taken,  that  the  woman  may  enter  upon  her 
new  and  experimental  life  in  the  enjoyment  of  the  most 
favorable  surroundings. 


300  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Regarding  the  time  in  the  month,  prudence  and  Nature 
are  alike  suggestive.  There  are  certain  times  in  every 
woman's  month  that  alone  would  indicate  an  unpropitious 
time  for  the  consummation  of  such  social  relations.  There 
is,  with  most  women,  a  feeling  of  extreme  sensitiveness  as 
to  ordinary  appearance  in  society  under  certain  circum- 
stances, and  surely  it  would  be  quite  embarrassing  to 
enter  matrimony  at  this  particular  period.  Hence,  she 
should  select  a  day  about  midway  between  the  times  of  her 
periodical  sickness.  If  her  periods  occur  every  twenty- 
eight  days,  she  should  allow  twelve  days  to  intervene 
between  her  entire  recovery  from  her  sickness  and  the  day 
of  her  wedding.  This  would  bring'  her  safely  into  Nature's 
period  of  sterility,  that  she  need  not  suffer  the  embarrass- 
ment consequent  to  early  pregnancy.  This  sometimes  is 
followed  by  a  few  days  of  premature  birth,  which,  in  a 
gossiping  and  uncharitable  community,  might  reflect 
unjustly  upon  her  character.  Moreover,  this  would  be  a 
time  in  her  month  in  which  she  would  be  in  the  enjoyment 
of  her  best  health,  having  fully  recovered  from  the 
exhaustion  consequent  to  her  sickness. 

The  Wedding. 

The  term  "  wedding  "  is  employed  ordinarily  to  desig- 
nate all  the  festivities  incident  to  the  celebration  of  mar- 
riage. It  includes,  therefore,  the  precedent  and  subse- 
quent circumstances  of  which  the  marriage  rite  is  the 
central  point.  Comprehensively,  it  refers  to  the  prepara- 
tions of  the  bride  for  receiving  and  entertaining  her 


THE   WEDDING.  3OI 

friends,  the  announcement  to  expected  guests,  with  invi- 
tations to  be  present,  the  marriage  ceremony  itself,  the 
marriage  banquet,  other  festivities,  etc.  In  so  far  as 
these  matters  are  concerned  with  social  etiquette,  this 
work  has  nothing  to  do.  In  so  far  as  they  concern  the 
physiological  interests  of  the  bride,  a  little  counsel  may  be 
profitable. 

The  elaborateness  of  the  wedding  will  always  depend 
on  the  circumstances  of  the  contracting  parties.  It  is  the 
privilege  of  the  bride  to  elect  how  extensive  these  shall  be. 
This  is  a  most  beneficial  social  custom,  though,  unhap- 
pily, it  is  not  always  exercised  to  the  best  advantage. 
Too  many  brides  are  concerned  as  to  how  the  wedding 
will  be  considered  by  others,  and  forgetful  of  the  drain 
that  is  being  made  upon  their  own  nervous  resources. 
There  is  too  much  serfdom  to  social  culture,  too  little  re- 
gard to  physiological  common  sense  in  social  centers.  It 
is  the  one  great  event  of  life  to  a  woman  ;  and,  therefore, 
she  must  make  the  most  out  of  it  possible.  It  must  pass 
off  with  proper  eclat,  or  she  will  be  socially  degraded. 
It  must  equal  or  surpass  similar  events  in  the  lives  of 
those  who  were  her  social  equals.  These,  and  other  like 
considerations,  often  influence  brides  to  use  their  privi- 
leges on  this  important  occasion,  only  to  multiply  trials 
and  complications  through  the  exhausting  demands  neces- 
sary in  passing  through  the  marriage  celebration. 

While  the  bride  is  to  decide  how,  when,  and  where 
she  is  to  be  married,  it  is  always  advisable  to  consult  the 
bridegroom  in  regard  to  the  general  and  many  of  the  par- 


£IE   0 


302  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

ticular  arrangements.  For  obvious  reasons,  his  judgment 
is  better  than  hers.  While  she  is  liable  to  think  of  others, 
he  thinks  only  of  her.  He  will  ordinarily  favor  all 
arrangements  which  impose  the  least  labor  and  nervous 
excitement  on  the  bride,  and  this  is  a  consummation 
devoutly  to  be  wished.  Men,  as  a  rule,  are  simpler  in 
their  tastes  than  women.  Unmarried  men,  too,  have 
closer  intimacies  with  married  men  than  maidens  have 
with  their  married  sisters.  The  bridegroom,  therefore, 
will  be  more  likely  to  be  thoughtful  of  those  arrangements 
which  tend  to  the  better  physical  good  of  the  bride  than 
she  will.  In  any  event,  it  is  a  ceremony  which  concerns 
both  equally,  or  almost  so,  and  there  should  be  entire 
harmony  with  regard  to  all  attendant  circumstances. 
There  will  rarely  be  any  difficulty  in  securing  this  mutual 
agreement.  Persons  deeply  in  love  with  each  other  do 
not  easily  disagree. 

If  the  bride  reside  with  her  parents,  or  have  a  home,  it 
is  customary  to  have  the  ceremony  performed  there  ;  or  if 
she  be  an  attendant  at  church,  in  that  place.  In  the  latter 
case  it  is  customary  to  return  to  the  home  of  the  bride, 
where  a  formal  reception,  a  banquet,  etc.,  are  held.  In 
either  case  the  conditions  are  about  the  same.  There  will 
necessarily  be  considerable  excitement  of  the  nervous  con- 
stitution of  the  bride.  The  thought  of  the  great  change 
which  is  about  to  come  in  her  life,  the  severance  of  all  old 
and  tender  relations,  the  venture  into  a  new  sphere,  on 
new  and  untried  conditions — these  alone  are  sufficient  to 
excite  her  nerves  to  a  high  pitch.  To  these  will  be  added 

5  fj  3  JJ ' 


THE   WEDDING.  303 

the  presence  of  many  friends,  not  all  of  whom  are  thought- 
ful of  the  nerves  of  the  bride  ;  the  novelty  of  finding  her- 
self the  central  figure  in  ceremonies  more  or  less  public  ; 
the  vigilance  necessary  to  preclude  annoying  blunders, 
etc. ,  all  these  will  add  to  the  drain  upon  her  vital  powers. 
It  must  not  be  forgotten  that  nervous  exaltation,  however 
delightful,  is  exhausting.  It  is  a  constant  and  great  drain 
upon  the  vital  powers.  It  will  inevitably  be  followed  by 
a  season  of  depression  as  great  and  prolonged  as  was  the 
antecedent  excitement.  For  this  reason  it  is  exceedingly 
desirable  that  the  wedding  be  as  simple  and  as  brief  as 
social  etiquette  will  permit.  The  change  from  maidenhood 
to  wifehood  is  of  sufficient  magnitude  to  demand,  for  its 
safe  and  happy  accomplishment,  the  most  favorable  condi- 
tions attainable.  It  is  the  greatest  of  unwisdom  and 
gravest  of  error  for  the  woman  herself  to  make  these  con- 
ditions most  unfavorable.  She  has,  practically,  the  whole 
wedding  arrangements  in  her  control.  Ignorance  or 
thoughtlessness  will  bring  bitter  regrets.  Not  a  few  women 
there  are  whose  failing  health  dates  from  marriage.  Many 
of  these  women  do  not  yet  know,  precisely,  that  it  was  not 
marriage  which  laid  the  foundation  for  a  shattered  system, 
but  the  unnecessary  and  imprudent  conduct  in  the  festivi- 
ties connected  with  marriage.  From  the  physiological 
standpoint,  then,  prudence  demands  that  the  strength  be 
husbanded  with  the  utmost  frugality.  Invite  no  excite- 
ment. Avoid  all  social  festivities,  however  pleasurable, 
which  impose  an  unnecessary  drain  upon  the  nervous 
forces.  Nothing  will  be  lost  in  a  social  way.  If 


304  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

circumstances  warrant  an  expensive  and  elaborate 
wedding,  the  standing  of  the  bride  is  so  secure  that  she 
fan  dare  to  be  plain.  No  friend  of  good  sense  will  ques- 
tion the  motive  which  prompts  quietude  and  simplicity. 
If  circumstances  demand  an  inexpensive  wedding,  yield  to 
them  gracefully.  No  one  ever  gained  anything  of  substan- 
tial benefit  by  pretending  to  have  what  she  had  not,  or  to 
be  what  she  was  not. 

Unless  the  marriage  be  entirely  private  —  that  is, 
where  the  bride  and  groom  with  a  friend  or  two,  go  to 
the  clergyman's  or  magistrate's  house,  have  the  ceremony 
performed,  and  then  depart  upon  their  wedding  journey, 
there  will  be  guests  to  invite.  Any  book  on  social  eti- 
quette will  teach  the  forms  by  which  this  may  be  properly 
done.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  as  the  wedding  is  the  bride's 
affair  largely,  it  is  her  privilege  to  elect  whom  she  will 
have  present.  There  are  two  classes  of  persons  whose 
claims  stand  first,  and  who  cannot  be  ignored  ;  these  are 
her  own  and  her  prospective  husband's  relatives.  It  will 
be  entirely  proper  for  the  bride  to  ask  her  husband  for  the 
names  of  all  his  relatives  whom  he  desires  to  have  present. 
She  will  ordinarily  find  that  he  will  restrict  the  number  of 
these  to  the  lowest  possible  number.  After  the  relatives 
come  mutual  friends,  if  there  be  any,  her  own  friends  and 
his.  The  invitations  must  all  come  through  the  bride  or 
her  parents.  The  bridegroom  will  elect  his  groomsman, 
though  he  cannot  invite  him  to  attend  the  wedding. 

The  only  purpose  in  adverting  to  these  social  amenities 
is  that  the  bride  should  fully  acquaint  herself  with  what 


THE  'WEDDING.  305 

she  is  expected  to  do.  Knowing  this,  let  her,  in  good 
season,  carefully  prepare  the  lists  of  persons  who  are  to  be 
invited.  It  appears  like  a  very  small  matter,  but  it  is  not, 
infrequently,  a  cause  of  worry  and  anxiety  to  the  bride  at 
the  last  moment,  lest  she  have  left  unasked  some  one 
whom  she  would  regret  to  neglect.  If  the  matter  be 
attended  to  systematically  and  in  proper  time,  there  is  far 
less  liability  of  neglect  or  omission.  And  it  is  desirable, 
above  all  things,  that  all  worry  and  annoyance  shall  be 
avoided.  Women  have  been  known  who  have  fretted 
themselves  into  a  sickness  because  they  discover,  at  the 
last  moment,  that  they  have  overlooked  some  one  whose 
presence  was  especially  desired.  Such  risks  should  be 
avoided.  In  the  high  state  of  nervous  excitement  in 
which  the  marriage  usually  finds  the  most  sedate  of 
women,  the  veriest  trifle  is  magnified.  It  is  sometimes 
the  case  that  a  very  slight  cause  of  worry  will,  in  the 
exaggerated  nervous  condition,  lead  to  injurious  results. 
What  at  other  times  would  be  dismissed  with  an  apology 
and  regret,  will  at  this  time  weigh  upon  the  spirits  like  a 
mountain  load.  For  these  reasons,  let  the  invitations  of 
the  guests  be  attended  to  at  a  sufficient  time  before  the 
celebration  of  the  marriage  to  be  free  from  its  bustle  and 
excitement. 

The  marriage  ceremony  is  generally  trying  to  the  sensi- 
tive nerves  of  the  bride.  Instinctively  modest  and  retir- 
ing as  most  women  are,  the  publicity  of  the  ceremony 
abashes  them. 


306  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

The  bride  finds  herself  a  cynosure  for  all  eyes,  and 
conscious  that  she  is  being  stared  at,  not  with  intentional 
rudeness,  but  by  reason  of  a  presumed  license  which  the 
occasion  allows.  She  feels  that  her  every  movement  is 
watched,  her  every  word  and  look  scrutinized  critically,  her 
dress  and  appearance  inspected  to  the  remotest  minutiae. 
This  shames,  embarrasses  and  oppresses  her  ;  and  this 
is  intensified  by  the  feeling  that  she  is  liable,  under 
this  embarrassment,  to  omit  some  detail  or  commit  some 
error  that  will  confuse  others.  She  feels  that  she  is  in  a 
condition  to  blunder  in  almost  anything. 

This  mental  state  is  trying.  It  has  its  ulterior  effects, 
rendering  her  nervous  excitement  greater,  and  the  exhaust- 
ive process  more  rapid  and  more  emphatic.  Happily  for 
her,  the  ceremony  is  usually  brief.  There  seems  no  way 
to  avoid  this  ordeal.  The  best  that  can  be  done  is  to 
counsel  the  bride  to  thoroughly  familiarize  herself  with  the 
details  of  the  ceremony.  Let  her  go  through  it,  either  by 
rehearsal  or  mentally,  so  that  she  will  be  surprised  by 
nothing  in  the  real  performance  of  the  rite.  This  famili- 
arity will  give  her  confidence  in  her  ability  to  acquit 
herself  creditably  ;  and  this  confidence  will  be  soothing. 
The  more  comfortable  she  can  be  during  the  ceremony, 
the  better  it  will  be  for  her  afterwards.  If  she  can  carry 
herself  beyond  this  climax  without  experiencing  undue 
excitement,  she  will  have  little  trouble  in  preserving  her 
calmness  until  the  end. 

The  custom  is  to  follow  the  ceremony  with  a  banquet. 
It  is  a  very  unwise  custom  if  we  consider  the  character  of 


THE    WEDDING.  3O/ 

the  feast  and  the  conditions  under  which  it  is  eaten.  From  ' 
what  has  already  been  said,  it  is  manifest  that  the  bride 
must  be  of  extraordinary  mold,  indeed,  if  she  do  not 
find  herself  by  this  time  not  only  without  appetite,  but 
also  in  that  physical  condition  in  which  it  is  highly 
improper  to  take  food  into  the  system.  The  physical  and 
mental  strain  under  which  she  has  labored  for  several 
hours,  perhaps,  has  so  affected  the  circulation  of  the  blood 
as  to  leave  the  stomach  and  other  digestive  organs  without 
a  necessary  supply.  By  no  effort  of  will  can  she  restore 
the  equilibrium  of  circulation.  The  banquet  is  not  unusu- 
ally held  at  a  late  hour.  Rarely,  indeed,  does  the  wedding 
feast  take  place  at  the  time  at  which  a  meal  should 
ordinarily  be  eaten.  It  is  considered  of  such  minor 
importance  that  it  must  await  its  turn  in  the  programme, 
no  matter  at  what  hour  this  may  be.  This  is  no  small 
matter.  Many  persons,  in  ordinary  health  and  under  no 
press  of  excitement,  are  injured  by  feasting  at  irregular 
hours.  Much  more  seriously  may  it  affect  the  newly- 
made  wife.  It  must  also  be  added  that  the  nature  of  the 
viands  is  such  that,  unless  sparingly  partaken  of,  the  result 
is  certain  to  be  injurious.  The  materials  are  rich  and 
indigestible  for  the  most  part.  Cakes  and  pastry  follow 
highly-seasoned  substantiate,  and  of  each  and  all  the 
bride  is  expected  to  partake.  The  banquet  is  given  in 
her  honor.  She  must,  perforce,  show  approbation.  Well- 
meaning  but  thoughtless  friends  press  her  to  partake  of 
this  and  that,  and  she  is  powerless  to  resist.  The  result 
is,  she  finds  that  she  has,  without  appetite,  eaten  a  consid- 


308  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

erable  meal,  at  an  irregular  hour,  of  innutritious  and 
highly-indigestible  food.  She  finds,  also,  that  her  system 
is  in  no  condition  to  retain  such  gormandizing.  Nor  is  she 
allowed  any  repose.  Back  into  the  social  circle  she  must 
go,  to  entertain  her  guests  at  the  expense  of  her  own 
powers.  The  best  that  can  be  said  here  by  way  of  advice 
is  that  the  wife  eat  as  sparingly  as  she  can.  Not  because 
her  system  does  not  need  food,  but  because  the  circum- 
stances are  against  its  accomplishing  its  designed  purpose. 
A  woman  with  tact  can  escape  gormandizing,  and  escape 
giving  affront  at  the  same  time.  It  will  be  better  for  her 
f  she  do  so.  Better  to  delay  eating  until  another  time, 
when  the  conditions  are  more  favorable. 

A  wedding  journey  is  the  prescribed  finale  of  the  fes- 
tivities. It  is  usually  begun  on  the  day  of  the  marriage, 
and  is  of  variable  length,  both  in  the  distance  traveled  and 
in  the  time  devoted  to  it.  It  is  a  custom  with  some  com- 
mendable features,  but  many  that  are  the  exact  reverse. 

It  is  advisable  that  husband  and  wife  should  be  alone  for  a 

« 

week  or  two,  both  in  order  to  enjoy  the  pleasure  of  each 
other's  society,  and  to  become  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
each  other.  It  is  also  highly  desirable  that  this  relation 
should  be  apart  from  the  family  and  friends  of  both. 

There  is  a  vulgar  familiarity  indulged  by  close  friends 
which  cannot  but  be  annoying  and  humiliating  to  a 
woman  of  sensitive  and  refined  tastes.  The  looks,  actions, 
and  sometimes  the  words  of  such  friends  seem  to  intimate 
that  the  one  object  and  aim  of  marriage  —  its  summum 
bonum  —  is  the  indulgence  of  animal  appetite.  The  sly 


THE    WEDDING.  309 

look,  the  suppressed  titter,  the  covert  insinuation,  all  point 
to  this  one  fact,  that  such  a  thought  is  uppermost  in  the 
mind.  The  husband,  poor  fellow,  is  made  to  run  the 
gauntlet  of  no  end  of  gibes  and  intimations,  doubly  galling 
because  they  mean  nothing  disassociated  from  the  woman 
who  is  now  his  wife,  and  whom  he  loves  and  respects 
above  all  of  her  kind.  He  can  resent  nothing.  He  knows, 
perhaps  —  the  guilty  wretch!  —  that  he  has  guyed  his 
friends  when  they  were  married.  Besides,  to  show  irrita- 
tion is  to  put  himself  out  of  character  as  a  happy  bride- 
groom. It  is  better,  therefore,  that  the  honeymoon  be 
spent  away  from  familiar  friends. 

It  is  not  unusual  to  devote  this  time  to  travel,  going 
from  place  to  place  sight-seeing,  and  living  at  hotels  and 
public  houses.  This  is  unwise.  Traveling  and  sight-seeing  is 
exhausting,  even  in  ordinary  circumstances.  It  is  ten- 
fold more  so  under  the  conditions  of  the  honeymoon. 
Few  women  at  marriage  are  experienced  travelers.  They 
do  not  know  how  to  travel  and  escape  its  weariness  and 
unpleasantness.  They  are  accustomed  to  the  quiet  of 
the  home  life,  and  the  railway  or  hotel  is  trying  to  their 
nerves.  The  husband,  be  he  ever  so  kind  and  attentive, 
is  a  comparative  stranger.  The  modest  wife  shrinks  from 
telling  him  her  feelings  or  asking  his  aid.  What  she 
requires,  more  than  anything  else,  is  quiet  and  rest.  This 
she  cannot  possibly  attain  in  the  bustle  and  strangeness  of 
a  city  hotel. 

A  writer  on  this  subject  does  not  overstep  the  truth 
when  he  says :  "  The  foundation  of  many  an  unhappy 


310  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

future  is  laid  on  the  wedding  tour.  Not  only  is  the  young 
wife  tried  beyond  all  her  experience,  but  the  husband, 
too,  partakes  of  her  weakness.  Many  men  who  really 
love  the  women  they  marry  are  subject  to  a  slight  revul- 
sion of  feeling  for  a  few  days  after  marriage.  '  When  the 
veil  falls  and  the  girdle  is  loosed,'  says  Schiller,  '  the  fair 
illusion  vanishes."  A  half-regret  crosses  their  minds  for 
the  jolly  bachelorhood  they  have  renounced.  The 
mysterious  charms,  which  gave  their  loved  one  the  air  of 
something  more  than  human,  disappear  in  a  prosaic 
sunlight  of  familiarity."  This  mutual  revulsion  of  feeling 
is  entirely  natural.  It  will  pass  away  in  a  few  days,  and  a 
deep,  abiding  tenderness,  founded  on  a  more  substantial 
basis  than  lovers'  affection,  will  take  its  place.  Patience 
and  self-command  on  the  part  of  both  are  needed,  lest 
permanent  dislike  be  established. 

Many  a  woman,  too,  dates  the  loss  of  her  health  to  her 
wedding  tour.  Starting  upon  it  under  the  conditions 
which  have  been  detailed,  and  continuing  it  in  much  the 
same  circumstances  as  characterized  the  wedding  festivities, 
she  lays  the  basis  of  impaired  health.  Add  to  this  the 
fact  that  the  consummation  of  marriage  means  a  great 
change  to  her  physically,  and  the  reason  for  her  destroyed 
health  can  readily  be  seen.  So  many  cases  of  permanent 
unhappiness  and  permanent  ill  health  dating  from  the 
wedding  journey,  come  under  the  notice  of  all  physicians 
that  it  is  no  wonder  that  many  of  them  condemn  it 
altogether. 

This,  however,  is  not  necessary.  A  short  journey  is  a 
benefit,  if  it  be  followed  by  a  week  or  ten  days  of  quiet, 


THE   WEDDING.  311 

peaceful  rest  in  some  home-like  place.  If  it  be  summer- 
time, a  sojourn  by  the  seaside  in  a  quiet  hotel  is  delightful. 
After  a  day  or  two  the  wife  will  be  familiar  with  the 
appointments  of  the  house,  and  the  home-like  feeling  will 
come  over  her.  If  the  marriage  occur  in  a  colder  season, 
nothing  is  better  than  a  visit  to  a  prudent,  affectionate 
friend  of  the  bride  —  one  who  is  herself  happily  married. 
The  wife  will  gain  both  the  home-rest  so  demanded,  and 
also  can  confide  in  her  experienced  friend  what  she  cannot 
yet  tell  her  husband,  and  can  receive  better  counsel  than 
even  her  husband  can  give. 

Marriage  Contract — Its    Importance. 

In  the  eyes  of  the  law,  marriage  is  a  civil  contract  only. 
It  is  valid  under  certain  prescribed  legal  conditions.  The 
law  looks  no  further  than  the  well-being  of  the  citizen. 
It  recognizes  the  beneficence  of  marriage  and  takes 
control  of  it.  It  prescribes  who  may  marry,  when  and 
how.  When  these  regulations  are  followed,  the  law 
insures  to  the  marriage  relation  the  enjoyment  of  all  the 
rights  and  privileges  which  attach  to  it.  This,  however, 
is  a  narrow  view  of  marriage.  The  institution  goes  back 
and  beyond  all  civil  enactment,  and  rests  in  the  authority 
of  Divine  appointment  and  approval.  It  was  known  at 
the  very  dawn  of  creation,  and  bears  all  the  evidence  of  a 
necessary  condition  of  human  existence.  The  sacred 
record  clearly  asserts  that  the  woman  was  made  for  man, 
implying  that  without  her  and  apart  from  her,  man  was 
incomplete,  and  the  conditions  of  human  society  imper- 


312  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD, 

feet.  It  may  be  said  that  marriage  is  ordained  by  God 
in  the  same  manner  that  man's  nature  was  ordained  by 
Him.  In  its  formal  appointment,  however,  it  is  the  work 
of  man,  and  has  ever  been  essentially  a  natural  and  civil 
institution. 

Man,  in  his  intellectual  and  spiritual  being,  was 
designed  to  be  a  complete  representation  of  the  Creator. 
This,  in  solitude  and  isolation,  he  could  not  be.  In  the 
fulfillment  of  this  great  design  there  arose  a  necessity  for 
a  companion,  a  counselor,  who  should  be  a  "  help-meet 
for  him  "  —  the  exact  counterpart  and  complement  of 
himself,  capable  of  receiving  and  reflecting  his  thoughts, 
sympathies  and  affections.  So  soon  as  the  step  in  the 
work  of  creation  establishing  the  nature  and  extent  of 
man's  social  being  and  its  entire  applicability  to  the  wants 
of  society  in  all  time  to  come  was  finished,  Adam, 
directed  by  the  inspiration  of  God  himself,  gave  the  great 
Magna  Charta  of  marriage  which  should  be  of  universal 
obligation  to  all  of  his  posterity  —  "  therefore  shall  a  man 
leave  his  father  and  mother  and  shall  cleave  unto  this 
wife  and  they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh. "  In  this  charter, 
as  well  as  in  the  manner  of  woman's  creation  —  she 
being  taken  from  man  —  unity  of  man  and  wife  is  fully 
established  and  manifestly  expressed  in  the  words  "  one 
flesh!"  What  more  significant  term  could  be  employed  to 
unfold  the  intimacy  of  the  relation  existing  between 
husband  and  wife,  than  the  expression  "  one  flesh  ?  " 
The  closeness  of  this  relation  is  referred  to  in  the  New 
Testament  by  the  great  Apostle  to  the  Gentiles  to  illus- 


MARRIAGE   CONTRACT  —  ITS   IMPORTANCE.  313 

trate  the  closeness  of  the  bonds  of  union  existing  between 
Christ  and  His  church,  which  Christ  Himself  represents  as 
being  inseparably  joined  together.  But  our  Lord  and  His 
Apostles  re-established  the  integrity  and  sanctity  of  the 
marriage  covenant  by  reiterating  and  thereby  confirming 
the  original  charter  of  marriage  as  the  basis  upon  which 
all  regulations  were  to  be  framed,  giving  the  reasons  upon 
which  the  institutions  of  marriage  rested.  "  Have  ye'not 
read  that  He  which  made  them  at  the  beginning,  made 
them  male  and  female  ?  "  and  said  "  For  this  cause  shall  a 
man  leave  father  and  mother  and  shall  cleave  unto-  his 
wife,  and  they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh."  The  necessity 
of  the  institution  would  appear  to  have  grown  out  of  the 
relative  positions  that  man  and  woman  occupied  toward 
each  other  in  their  creation  —  that  of  being  created  male 
and  female.  "  For  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  his  father, 
etc." 

The  cause  still  exists  upon  which  marriage  is  based  ; 
hence  the  institution  itself  and  all  that  was  originally 
implied  in  it  remain  in  full  force.  Marriage  being  of 
Divine  authority,  its  sacredness  must  not  only  be  admitted, 
but  in  its  enjoyment  is  to  be  experienced  the  highest  type 
of  social  life.  The  importance  of  the  marriage  covenant 
may  be  seen  in  its  biding  effect  upon  the  parties  during 
their  natural  life.  Such  a  contract  should  not  be  entered 
upon  w.ithout  the  most  careful  and  candid  consideration. 
The  formation  of  a  partnership  that  is  only  to  last  for  a 
fe\v  years  should  demand  our  earnest  thought.  How 
much  greater  should  be  the  care  taken  in  entering  upon 


314  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

one  for  life-?  Surely  all  the  factors  entering  into  such  an 
alliance  demand  a  most  deliberate  and  candid  considera- 
tion, 'and  judgment  rather  than  a  hasty  obedience  to  the 
dictates  of  a  blind  and  impetuous  passion. 

Remember  that  all  the  relations  of  life,  physical, 
mental,  social  and  moral,  are  involved  in  the  formation  of 
the  marriage  contract.  The  entire  development,  position 
in  society,  and  true  character  before  mankind,  is  to  be 
weighed  in  this  scale  of  matrimonial  alliance. 

The  statistics  of  all  countries  clearly  demonstrate  that 
marriage  is  conducive  to  health  and  longevity.  Married 
persons  live  longer  and  enjoy  better  health  than  the 
unmarried.  This  is  only  what  might  be  expected,  when 
we  contemplate  the  wisdom  of  the  Great  Architect  of  our 
being.  In  carrying  out  His  plan  in  the  drama  of  life, 
which  involves  marriage,  the  greater  health  and  happiness 
are  enjoyed  by  His  creatures.  It  might  naturally  be 
supposed  by  the  casual  observer  that,  inasmuch  as  entering 
upon  the  marriage  exposes  women  to  disorders  and 
dangers  not  common  to  the  unmarried,  the  death  rate 
would  be  correspondingly  increased  ;  but  such  is  not  the 
case.  On  the  other  hand,  married  women  are  not  only 
exempt  from  many  diseases  that  prey  upon  the  unmarried, 
but  they  are  free  from  the  mental  strain  and  worry  which 
so  many  unmarried  women  experience,  especially  as  they 
advance  in  life.  From  well  authenticated  statistics,  there 
is  no  question  that  the  tendency  of  marriage  is  to  prolong 
life  and  to  conduce  greatly  to  individual  welfare  and 
happiness,  when  its  ends  are  not  perverted  and  its  privi- 
leges abused. 


MARRIAGE    CONTRACT  —  ITS    IMPORTANCE.  315 

From  what  has  been  said  with  regard  to  the  nature, 
extent  and  social  bearing  of  marriage,  anything  looking 
toward  an  alliance  of  such  serious  and  permanent  character 
demands  our  most  thoughtful  consideration.  It  is  to  be 
feared  that  too  many  rush  forward  heedlessly,  without 
giving  the  thought  which  the  importance  of  the  act 
demands.  "  To  be  engaged  "  is  a  condition  in  life  that  is 
entered  into  as  if  it  were  of  but  little  moment.  Many  of 
both  sexes  are  often  heard  relating  with  a  gusto  how 
frequently  they  have  been  engaged.  Surely  such  engage- 
ments made  but  little  impression  upon  their  affections,  or 
they  would  not  be  able  to  as  easily  extricate  their  hearts 
as  they  did  their  words.  To  trifle  with  affection  is  quite 
too  serious  a  rrfatter  to  be  recklessly  indulged,  lest  they 
should  become  so  fickle  as  to  be  like  the  needle  sur- 
rounded by  a  number  of  magnets  —  unable  to  settle  any 
where. 

Ponder  well  the  advice  given  in  regard  to  the  choice 
of  a  husband;  and  finding  one  that  possesses  the  charac- 
teristics described,  who  offers  you  his  heart  and  hand, 
accept  him  as  a  gift  from  heaven,  and  permit  nothing 
short  of  the  sentiment  of  the  following  lines  to  fill  your 
heart : 

"  In  bower  and  garden  rich  and  rare 

There  is  many  a  cherished  flower, 
Whose  beauty  fades,  whose  fragrance  flits 

Within  the  flitting  hour. 
Not  so  the  simple  forest  leaf, 

Unpraised,  unnoticed,  lying — 
The  same  through  all  its  little  life  — 

It  changes  but  in  dying. 


316  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

Be  such,  and  only  such,  my  friends  ; 

Once  mine  and  mine  forever  ; 
And  here  's  a  hand  to  clasp  in  theirs, 

And  shall  desert  them  never. 
And  thou  be  such  my  gentle  love, 

Time,  chance,  the  world  defying ; 
And  take  —  'tis  all  I  have  —  a  heart 

Thai  changes  but  in  dying." 

Divorce. 

The  legal'  separation  of  a  husband  and  wife  and  the 
effectual  severance  of  the  tie  that  bound  them  together, 
has  been  allowed  in  all  ages.  The  authority  for  it  is 
traced  to  the  Mosaic  laws,  which  form  the  basis  of  all  civil 
laws  upon  the  subject.  That  the  Scriptures  teach  that  a 
divorce  is  proper  for  cause,  cannot  be  gainsaid  ;  but  that 
a  multiplicity  of  causes  such  as  now  obtain  in  the  civjl 
statutes  of  our  country  can  be  traced  to  this  authority,  is 
not  true.  A  close  study  of  society  at  the  time  the 
Mosaic  code  was  given  will  reveal  the  fact  that  marriage 
did  not  rest  on  the  high  plane  it  afterward  reached.  The 
Hebrews  were  undoubtedly  far  in  advance  of  contempo- 
raneous nations,  but  they  were  far  from  being  perfect. 
Persons  were  married  in  much  the  same  manner  that  they 
are  in  India  and  China  to-day.  The  woman  had  little,  if 
anything,  to  say  about  it.  The  persons  marrying  might 
or  might  not  love  each  other,  might  or  might  not  be 
mutually  suitable  ;  these  were  accidents  if  they  existed. 
The  marriage  was  a  commercial  or  economical  manage- 
ment merely. 

By  reason  of  this  there  was  much  unhappiness  and 
crime  among  families.  The  laws  of  Moses  aimed  at 


DIVORCE.  317 

mitigating  the  social  condition  rather  than  at  sanctioning 
a  wrong.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  license  given, 
either  by  the  Mosaic  code  or  by  the  social  enactments  of 
the  times  for  the  abrogation  of  the  bond  of  union  by 
which  the  husband  and  wife  became  one  flesh,  the  great 
Lawgiver  Himself  while  upon  earth  fully  established  its 
extent  and  import.  He  condemns  in  unequivocal  language 
the  practice  resulting  from  the  enactment  of  Moses,  the 
putting  away  of  a  wife  without  any  crime  on  her  part, 
through  dislike  or  mere  caprice  of  the  husband,  as  utterly 
opposed  to  the  original,  Divine  idea  of  marriage,  according 
to  which  a  man  and  his  wife  were  joined  together  by  God 
to  be  one  flesh,  and  are  not,  by  man  to  be  put  assunder, 
except  it  be  for  the  crime  of  adultery.  "  Whosoever,  there- 
fore, puts  away  his  wife  by  a  bill  of  divorcement,  without 
her  being  guilty  of  this  criminal  act,  causes  her  through 
the  medium  of  the  license  thus  given  to  marry  another 
man,  to  commit  adultery.  Thus  the  party  suffering  the 
divorce  is  criminal  in  marrying  again  as  is  also  the  man 
she  marries,  but  the  husband  who  divorced  her  is 
responsible  for  her  crime." 

In  some  parts  of  the  United  States  there  are  associa- 
tions calling  themselves  Christians,  who  wholly  ignore  the 
Divine  nature  of  this  bond  of  union,  making  it  altogether  a 
civil  institution  that  may  be  annulled  by  the  authority  of 
the  State  for  almost  any  pretense  whatever.  But  any 
legislation  whatever  that  overlooks  or  sets  aside  the  great 
principles  of  social  life  as  they  have  been  outlined  by  the 
wisdom  of  the  Lawgiver  of  Nazareth,  is  fraught  with 


318        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

baneful  influence  to  the  State  and  will  work  corruption  in 
the  lives  and  practices  of  its  subjects.  No  matter  how 
this  question  is  viewed,  whether  from  a  physical,  social  or 
moral  standpoint,  the  disregard  paid  to  the  solemn, 
binding  nature  of  the  nuptial  bonds,  and  the  unlimited 
liberty  assumed  by  the  courts  to  grant  bills  of  divorce,  for 
almost  any  pretense,  is , dangerous,  and  will  poison  the 
best  life  of  society. 

By  losing  sight  of  its  sacred  and  binding  effect  upon 
the  parties,  hasty  and  inconsiderate  matches  are  encour- 
aged, an  inclination  to  overlook  each  other's  peculiarities 
is  stultified.  The  security  of  the  family  ties  is  shaken, 
and  the  morality  of  the  social  life  jeopardized.  The 
practice  of  many  courts  in  the  States  has  become  so  lax  in 
the  exercise  of  the  trust  imposed  in  them,  that  divorces 
are  granted,  separating  the  wife  from  her  husband4  without 
even  her  knowledge  of  the  transaction,  until  to  her  sur- 
prise the  periodical  of  the  day  announced  the  marriage  of 
her  husband  to  another  woman,  thus  driving  her  from  the 
bed  and  board  of  her  husband,  to  wander  alone  amid  the 
charities  of  an  unfriendly  world,  or  seek  refuge  in  an 
alliance  with  another  man,  with  whom  she  must,  accord- 
ing to  the  law  of  God  referred  to,  live  in  a  state  of 
adultery. 

It  well  becomes  the  State  to  environ  the  marriage 
covenant  with  such  bulwarks  of  legislation  as  will  compel 
the  courts  to  scrutinize  with  the  most  profound  care  the 
averment  in  the  petition  for  a  bill  of  divorcement,  that 
wives  be  only  separated  from  their  husbands  when  found 


SUBSEQUENT    MARRIAGE.  319 

guilty  of  infidelity  to  that  bond  of  union  existing  between 
them,  by  which  they  become  one  flesh.  What  must  be 
the  depths  of  moral  turpitude  existing  in  the  heart  of  man 
or  woman  who  can  appear  without  blushing  before  the 
social  world  who  may  have  two  faithful  spouses  living,  to 
each  of  whom  external  fidelity,  before  God  and  man,  has 
been  plighted  ? 

Subsequent  Marriage. 

Widowhood  is  a  condition  which  befalls  many  women. 
Death  is  ruthless  and  impartial,  and  careless  of  the  misery, 
wretchedness  and  woe  which  follow  his  ravages.  All  that 
human  wisdom,  energy  and  power  can  do  may  be  put 
forth  to  make  a  home  lovely,  strong  and  abiding  ;  it  may 
be  builded  on  the  external  verities  of  purity,  righteous- 
ness and  piety,  garrisoned  and  girdled  with  honor,  trust 
and  affection,  and  fill  all  desire  by  its  brightness,  sweetness 
and  beauty  ;  and  yet  there  is  no  permanence.  Disease 
besieges  and  death  invades  the  home,  leaving  their  mark 
in  blasted  hopes,  widowed  hearts  and  empty  chairs. 
Sometimes  it  is  one,  sometimes  another  of  the  household 
that  is  taken  away ;  but  hardest  of  all  i?  the  case  when  the 
husband  and  father  is  called. 

From  the  earliest  times  and  among  all  people  the  lot  of 
the  widow  has  been  considered  a  sad  one.  Among  the 
Hebrews  she  was  treated  with  special  respect,  while  her 
condition,  in  the  Sacred  Word,  is  made  one  which  appeals 
with  peculiar  power  to  the  Divine  commiseration  and 
care.  In  some  parts  of  the  earth  even  to-day  widowhood 


32O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

involves  social  degradation.  In  our  own  and  other  highly 
enlightened  lands,  the  hardship  of  this  lot  is  recognized  by- 
special  laws  and  courts  which  take  cognizance  of  the  legal 
rights  of  widows  and  orphans.  She  is  a  widow  !  Let  this 
sentence  be  spoken,  and  the  person  designated  at  once 
claims  the  respect,  the  deference  and  the  sympathy  of 
society. 

It  cannot  be  said  that  the  material  lot  of  a  widow  is 
different  from  that  of  another  woman.  Socially  she  main- 
tains the  position  to  which  she  is  entitled.  In  the  church 
she  is  treated  with  even  more  deference  than  she  was  as  a 
maiden  and  wife.  If  she  has  a  home  she  controls  it  as 
she  pleases  and  her  property  is  her  own.  But,  after  all, 
this  being  admitted,  it  still  is  true  that  the  woman  who  has 
once  enjoyed  the  affection  and  care  of  a  husband  has  a 
sad  and  lonely  lot  when  bereft  and  widowed.  She  has 
tasted  of  the  sweets  of  marital  affection  and  the  serene 
happiness  of  domestic  life.  She  has  experienced  the  joy 
and  content  that  comes  of  being  tenderly  loved,  cared  for 
and  trusted,  and  of  loving,  confiding  and  relying  upon 
implicitly  in  return.  When  the  bitterness  of  grief  has 
passed  away,  there  remains  a  tender  remembrance  of  what 
has  been  lost,  which  the  emptiness  of  the  present  only 
intensifies.  As  the  days  pass  on,  this  remembrance 
becomes  a  yearning,  and  it  is  not  at  all  strange  that  it 
should.  When  this  state  is  reached,  perhaps  there  may 
come  across  her  life  another  opportunity  to  enjoy  the  love 
of  a  husband  and  the  comfoits  of  domestic  life.  Shall  she 
accept  ? 


SUBSEQUENT   MARRIAGE.  32! 

There  is  no  reason  why  she  should  not,  and  there  are 
many  good  reasons  why  she  should.  The  same  consider- 
ations which  once  induced  her  to  become  a  wife  are  still 
operative  and  she  has  nothing  more  to  consider  than  she 
had  in  selecting  her  first  husband.  Morally,  the  right  to 
re-marry  is  indisputable.  By  the  operations  of  death,  she 
"  is  loosed  from  her  husband"  and  is  free  to  marry  another. 
This  is  the  teaching  of  the  sacred  Scriptures.  Viewed 
from  the  social  standpoint,  other  things  being  equal,  her 
lot  as  a  wife  is  much  to  be  desired  in  preference  to  her 
present  widowed  condition.  If  she  marry  wisely  and 
prudently  she  will  find  in  her  new  husband  a  friend  and 
protector  equal  to  the  one  she  has  lost. 

An  opinion  prevails  quite  extensively  that  a  woman 
can  never  love  truly  and  deeply  but  once.  This  is  mere 
sentimentalism,  and  to  the  physiologist,  it  is  a  manifest 
absurdity.  To  the  psychologist,  it  is  a  wholly  untenable 
position.  He  recognizes  that  love  is  only  one  of  many 
emotions  of  the  soul  and  conforms  in  its  operations  to 
certain  well-defined  laws.  It  consists  chiefly  of  two 
elements,  a  pleasurable  sensation,  created  in  the  soul  by 
some  objective  fact — person,  thing,  experience,  etc., — and 
a  desire  to  do  good  to  that  object  if  it  be  a  person.  All 
that  is  needed,  then,  for  the  creation  of  love  is  the  percep- 
tion of  a  certain  quality  in  an  external  object ;  the 
perception  will  excite  the  pleasurable  emotion  and  the 
emotion  will  lead  to  the  desire.  The  feeling  cannot  be 
excited  unless  the  object  containing  the  proper  quality  be 
brought  in  contact  with  the  perceptive  faculties.  But 


322  MAIDENHOOD    AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

when  this  is  done,  the  emotion  irresistibly  is  stirred.  The 
more  frequently  the  lovable  quality  is  contemplated,  the 
deeper  is  the  impression  made,  and,  consequently,  the 
more  profound  is  the  emotion  resulting.  But  the  converse 
of  this  is  also  true  as  a  psychological  fact,  whatever  senti- 
mentalism  may  have  to  say  about  it. 

Let  a  case  be  supposed  :  a  man  and  woman  are 
naturally  in  love.  At  a  proper  age,  they  are  married. 
They  are  well  mated,  and  live  together  in  the  enjoyment 
of  reciprocal  love  in  a  pleasant  home  for  a  decade.  The 
husband  dies  and  the  wife  is  left  a  widow  at,  perhaps 
thirty  years  of  age.  Like  all  women  in  her  condition,  she 
feels  that  half  her  life  is  taken  away.  And  though  the  tie 
by  which  Heaven  declared  them  to  be  one  flesh  is  severed, 
she  feels  that  she  can  never  love  another  man,  because  the 
only  man  who  ever  did  excite  the  pleasurable  emotion  of 
love  in  her  is  gone.  This  feeling  will  continue  for  some 
time.  But  as  her  husband  will  never  more  be  brought 
in  contact  with  her  predominant  senses,  he  must  gradually 
cease  to  excite  the  emotion.  Love,  however  deep  and 
genuine,  cannot  live  upon  itself.  It  must  be  continually 
nourished,  and  memory  is  not  a  sufficient  mother  when  the 
S2nses  are  alive  and  active.  The  actual  fact  is,  that  love 
dies  out  and  only  a  memory  of  it  remains.  If,  when  this 
stage  is  reached,  the  woman  comes  into  social  contact  with 
a  man  who  possesses  the  qualities  capable  of  exciting  in  her 
the  affection  of  love,  she  will  love  him.  The  more  she 
sees  of  him,  the  deeper  her  love  will  become,  and  she  will 
repeat  exactly  her  former  experience.  There  certainly 


SUBSEQUENT    MARRIAGE.  323 

are  degrees  of  love;  but  these  depend  on  the  number  of 
qualities  possessed  by  the  person  loved  which  excite  the 
pleasurable  emotion,  and  the  depth  of  the  impression  made 
on  the  senses  by  each  or  all.  But  it  does  not  follow  by 
any  means  that  a  first  husband  necessarily  possessed  these 
qualities  and  made  this  impression,  and  a  second  or  third 
husband  did  not.  It  may  be  exactly  the  other  way. 

Marriage,  Its  Sacnedness. 

Various  notiohs  are  held  regarding  the  institution  of 
marriage.  Among  barbarous  nations  it  ranks  little  higher 
than  the  mating  of  animals.  Among  half-civilized  and 
semi-enlightened  peoples  it  is  considered  a  convenient 
social  arrangement,  but  entitled  to  no  special  reverence 
and  respect.  Among  the  highly-enlightened  nations  it  is 
regarded  of  the  highest  importance  to  the  well-being  of 
society,  and  is  guarded  and  defended  by  abundant  legis- 
lation. Those  who  believe  in  a  Supreme  Lawgiver,  and 
accept  the  sacred  Scriptures  as  authoritative,  elevate  this 
institution  to  the  highest  place.  It  has  the  appointment 
and  sanction  of  the  Author  of  Being,  .and  once  entered 
into  rightly,  it  binds  the  soul  and  body  of  the  parties  to 
it.  In  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  marriage  is  elevated 
to  the  dignity  and  importance  of  a  solemn  sacrament  which 
can  only  be  properly  administered  in  connection  with 
religious  ceremonies.  In  the  Established  Church  of 
England,  and  its  representative  in  this  country,  but  little 
less  importance  is  attached  to  the  institution.  And  among 
all  branches  of  the  Protestant  Church,  marriage  is  clothed 


324  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

with  solemnity,  and  its  obligations  are  held  to  be  sacredly 
binding. 

Outside  those  who  regard  marriage  as  a  Divine  insti- 
tution, the  vast  majority  consider  it  a  social  compact,  into 
which  both  parties  must  enter  voluntarily,  and  from  which 
there  is  no  release,  save  for  weighty  cause.  All  intelligent 
and  thinking  people  agree,  however,  no  matter  from  what 
stand-point  marriage  is  viewed,  that  while  the  marriage 
continues,  its  claims  are  absolute  upon  both  husband  and 
wife.  Of  the  justness  of  this  conviction  there  can  be  no 
question.  Marriage  is  an  all-absorbing  relation.  To  a 
certain  extent,  both  husband  and  wife  lose  individuality. 
But  it  is  a  mutual  absorption.  The  husband  does  not 
absorb  the  wife  any  more  than  the  wife  does  the  husband. 
The  wife  gives  herself  to  the  husband  ;  but  the  husband 
also  gives  himself  to  the  wife.  She  is  his,  and  he  is  hers. 
It  is  necessary  to  say  this  from  the  fact  that  there  is  a  some- 
what widely-spread  fallacy,  which  assigns  to  the  husband 
rights  and  privileges  relative  to  his  wife's  person,  which 
she  is  not  supposed  to  possess  with  his. 

There  is  not  one  code  of  moral  and  social  ethics  for 
the  husband  and  another  for  the  wife.  The  same  governs 
both.  They  are  alike  and  equal  in  the  marriage  relation. 
The  life  of  each  belongs  to  the  other.  Neither  can,  of 
right,  entertain  any  plans  and  projects  which  do  not 
include  the  other.  The  friends  of  one  are  the  friends  of 
the  other,  because  they  are  inseparable.  The  home  of 
one  is  the  home  of  the  other.  The  enjoyments,  hopes, 
endeavors  and  prospects  are  to  be  mutually  shared. 


MARRIAGE,    ITS   SACREDNESS.  325 

Because  of  this  mutual  proprietary  and  the  intimacy  of 
connection  established  by  marriage,  it  is  evident  that  the 
person  of  each  belongs  to  the  other.  The  law  of  chastity, 
which  binds  all  men  and  women  alike,  is  doubly  binding 
upon  them  when  in  the  marriage  state.  The  man  who 
violates  it,  not  only  sins  against  morality  and  society,  but 
against  his  wife.  He  has  given  to  another  what  belongs 
to  his  wife  alone.  He  sins  against  his  own  body  and 
against  her  body.  Divine  and  civil  law  unite  in  stamping 
conjugal  unchastity  with  a  different  name  and  a  deeper 
crime  than  when  the  person  committing  it  stands  outside 
this  relation. 

Many  men  are  habituated  to  acts  which  they  would 
not  tolerate  in  their  wives.  They  seem  to  be  possessed 
of  the  notion  that  they  are  entitled  to  indulgences  which 
are  absolutely  prohibited  their  wives,  and  that  a  higher 
law  of  social  cleanness  governs  women  than  men.  There 
is  no  reason  nor  justice  in  this  conduct  and  opinion.  The 
wife  is  as  free  as  the  husband  to  indulge  her  desires,  if 
she  has  any.  The  truth  is,  neither  has  any  privileges 
outside  each  other,  and  neither  can  possess  a  right,  a 
liberty,  or  a  privilege  which  does  not  belong  as  well  to  the 
other. 

Matrimony  imposes  bonds  on  those  who  enter  it  ;  but 
they  are  holy  bonds.  They  bind  absolutely  and  unalter- 
ably ;  but  the  links  of  the  chain  are  of  purest  gold.  The 
fullest  and  the  sweetest  liberty  is  allowed,  and  license  oniy 
is  inhibited.  Every  restriction  is  in  the  interests  of  health, 
purity  and  happiness.  Every  law  is  of  mutual  obligation, 
and  has  for  its  end  the  well-being  of  each  and  of  both. 


326  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

Faith  in  and  faithfulness  to  each  other  is  the  certain 
guaranty  of  continued  and  increasing  happiness.  In  all 
right  reason  neither  party  can  claim  from  the  other  more 
than  he  is  ready  to  extend  in  return.  If  the  husband 
leads  an  unclean  life,  he  has  no  right  to  insist  that  his  wife 
shall  not  do  the  same.  Because  he  does  wrong  she  is  not 
thereby  warranted  in  doing  wrong  ;  but  his  dereliction 
deprives  him  of  the  right  to  demand  straightforwardness 
and  integrity  of  conduct  for  her. 

Divine  and  human  law  alike  insist  on  a  life  of  purity 
and  integrity  for  both  men  and  women.  A  man  is  under 
obligation  to  obey  these  demands,  because  he  is  a  man. 
This  is  equally,  no  more,  no  less,  true  of  a  woman.  When 
a  marriage  relation  is  established  between  these  two, 
neither  is  released  from  any  obligation.  The  man  con- 
tinues to  be  a  man,  the  woman  a  woman.  Manhood's 
and  womanhood's  claims  still  bind  them.  Marriage  adds 
new  obligations.  The  person,  life,  conversation  of  each 
is  sacred  to  the  other,  and  each  is  bound  to  respect  self 
for  the  sake  of  the  other  self.  It  is  not  sentiment,  but 
moral  and  social  obligations  which  demand  that  each  shall 
care  for  self  with  a  greater  degree  of  consideration  than 
heretofore ;  because  every  departure  from  rectitude  in 
thought,  in  speech,  or  in  action,  in  either  husband  or  wife, 
necessarily  involves  the  other.  Neither  stands  alone,  nor 
can  act  alone.  Each  must  consider  the  other,  and  be 
governed  by  a  regard  for  what  is  honest  and  pure  in  self, 
even  as  these  are  demanded  from  the  other. 


THE    NEW   HOME.  327 

The  New  Home. 

All  the  bustle,  excitement  and  pleasant  surprises  of 
the  wedding  are  over  at  last.  The  marriage  ceremony 
has  been  performed,  the  congratulations  of  friends  ten- 
dered, the  honeymoon  has  waxed  and  waned,  and  now 
the  young  wife  finds  herself  at  the  beginning,  proper,  of 
her  new  life.  From  the  time  of  the  engagement  until  this, 
she  has  been  in  a  sort  of  transition  period  between  maid- 
enhood and  wifehood,  between  the  old  life  and  the  new. 
Maidenhood  was  a  joyous,  happy  time  ;  but  from  the  very 
nature  of  the  case  and  the  human  constitution,  a  transient 
and  half-satiating  experience.  Maidenhood  is  a  develop- 
ing period  ;  body,  soul  and  emotions  are  enlarging  and 
perfecting.  In  this  developing,  ambitions,  desires,  hopes 
are  aroused  wKich  cannot  find  satiety  in  any  experience 
which  life  then  holds.  The  maiden  knows  that  she  is 
happy  ;  but  she  also  knows  that  this  happiness  has  no 
permanence  in  it ;  that  there  is  a  fullness  of  life  which  she 
has  iQot  reached,  a  profundity  of  blessedness  which  she  has 
not  fathomed,  a  sweetness  of  desire  which  she  has  not 
tasted.  Her  eyes  ever  look  onward  and  upward  to  wife- 
hood  and  motherhood. 

Now,  wifehood  is  reached.  Its  preliminaries  are  all 
safely  passed.  Few  women  are  ever  entirely  satisfied  or 
comfortable  during  their  wedding  tour.  They  try  to 
forget  the  past  and  keep  the  future  back,  and  live  only  in 
the  present.  They  rarely  succeed  entirely.  Woman  is 
essentially  a  home-loving  being,  as  well  as  a  home-maker. 


328  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

Home  is  the  native  atmosphere  she  breathes.  If  the 
wedding  tour  be  protracted,  she  becomes  weary  and  home- 
sick. She  becomes  hungry  for  home.  Besides,  there  is 
the  pleasant  anticipation  of  the  new  home  —  her  home. 
All  her  own  !  It  fires  her  woman's  heart  to  think  about 
it.  It  sends  the  blood  coursing  through  her  veins  with 
intense  rapidity,  and  she  is  eager  and  anxious  for  the 
days  to  pass  and  the  time  to  come  when  she  shall  take 
possession  of  her  own  home. 

She  never  realized  fully  until  now  what  home  means, 
what  it  involves,  what  it  is.  She  has  never  really  had  a 
home.  It  was  her  mother's  home  where  she  dwelt.  She 
was  not  essential  to  its  integrity  ;  for  lo  !  has  she  not  gone 
out  of  that  home  and  it  remains  ?  No  ;  she  was  not  an 
integral,  inseparable  factor  in  the  old  home,  and  she 
realizes  it  fully  now.  But  she  is  to  have  a  home.  She  is 
to  make  it.  It  will  be  hers.  It  will  center  in  herself.  It 
cannot  exist  without  her.  She  will  be  its  queen,  its  pre- 
siding genius.  It  will  be  a  happy  home;  she  is  determined 
on  that  point  at  least.  It  will  be  a  retreat  from  the  world, 
a  resting-place  in  life,  a  defense  and  protection,  a  ban- 
queting-house  for  serene  and  pleasant  enjoyments. 

Home  is  the  prototype  of  Heaven.  Within  its  walls, 
and  nowhere  else,  can  be  portrayed  a  foretaste  of  what 
can  be  possessed  in  the  blessed  Evermore.  It  is  home 
that  binds  souls  to  earth.  The  homeless  are  invariably 
weary  of  life  and  dissatisfied  with  earth.  Death  is  crudest 
and  his  blows  fall  hardest  when  directed  against  one  who 
is  the  possessor  of  a  pleasant,  happy  home. 


THE   NEW   HOME.  329 

The  home-making  will  absorb  all  the  heart  of  the  young 
wife.  It  will  give  her  the  keenest  delight,  the  most  satis- 
fying happiness.  She  will  go  about  the  task  with  the 
most  intense  zest.  No  amount  of  labor  and  drudgery, 
even,  will  weary  her,  when  the  purpose  is  to  uprear  a  home 
for  herself  and  her  husband.  She  will  relish  fatigue  and 
perform  tasks  that  would  have  made  her  stand  aghast  to 
contemplate  a  few  months  before.  True,  she  is  doing  it 
for  herself  and  the  loved  being  into  whose  keeping  she  has 
given  her  life.  But  it  is  no  selfish  task.  The  element  of 
selfishness  does  not  enter  into  the  account  at  all.  On  the 
contrary,  she  is  simply  following  an  irresistible  desire  of 
her  own  nature,  called  into  active  existence  by  the  new 
relation  into  which  she  has  come.  The  home-making 
instinct  is  a  part  of  her  very  nature,  which  has  been  devel- 
oping during  all  the  years  in  which  she  dwelt  in  her  mother's 
house,  and  which  has  now  burst  into  full  fruition. 

It  matters  little  what  the  material  condition  is  so  far  as 
the  process  of  setting  up  the  new  home  is  concerned. 
Money  cannot  build  a  home,  and  poverty  cannot  prevent 
its  establishment.  If  happiness  and  contentment  possess 
the  heart,  and  common-sense  prudence  direct  the  hand, 
the  task  will  be  the  same  delightful  enjoyment  whether 
the  purse  be  heavy  or  light,  full  or  empty.  A  gentleman 
whom  all  the  world  knows,  and  who  now  and  for  years 
has  enjoyed  a  princely  income,  has  said  that  no  part  of 
his  life  was  half  so  delightful  as  the  first  few  years  after 
marriage  when  he  was  poor  beyond  measure.  He  details 
the  pleasure  which  the  purchase  of  every  new  article  of 


330  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

utility  or  adornment  gave  to  him  and  his  wife  as  far 
surpassing  that  which  they  afterward  experienced  when 
they  were  able  to  set  up  a  magnificent  establishment. 
Many  others  have  borne  similar  testimony. 

The  wife  and  husband  will  enjoy  the  charm  of  setting 
up  the  new  home,  because  it  is  to  be  their  home,  the 
resting-place  of  their  souls,  and  the  central  place  in  the 
world  for  them.  They  will  be  very  children  in  their 
delight,  and  do  many  silly  things,  no  doubt.  Perhaps 
some  of  their  arrangements  will  bring  a  smile  to  the  lips 
of  older  and  more  sedate  friends.  But  the  home-makers 
will  not  mind  that.  They  will  smile  themselves  in  a  few 
years,  as  they  recall  the  play-house  spirit  with  which  they 
began  married  life,  and  the  queer  tastes  and  fancies  which 
possessed  them.  But  though  the  good  friends  will  smile, 
they  will  be  sympathetically  good-natured.  They  under- 
stand it  all,  and  rejoice  that  the  new  family  is  displaying 
so  much  genuine  human  nature. 

When  all  is  finished  what  a  happy,  proud,  contented 
wife  it  is!  And  who  has  a  greater  right  to  be  happy, 
proud  and  contented  than  she?  Has  she  not  done  it  all, 
and  is  it  not  her  own?  Blessed,  hallowed  home!  Sweeter 
because  of  the  study  and  labor  that  erected  it,  brighter 
because  of  the  all-pervading  love  that  prompted  it.  It  is 
the  place  around  which  the  heart's  purest  affections  cluster, 
the  permanent  trysting-place  of  kindred  spirits,  bound 
together  by  abiding  faith  and  love. 


THE  WIFE. 


The  New  Epoch. . 

No  period  in  a  woman's  life  is  more  eagerly  anticipated 
than  that  in  which  girlhood  is  to  be  forever  swallowed  up 
in  wifehood.  In  this  eager  anticipation  there  is  too  often 
wanting  that  profound  thoughtfulness  which  the  gravity  of 
the  change  should  inspire.  She  is  inclined  to  look  only 
at  the  brightness  of  the  prospect,  to  dwell  only  on  the 
measured  fullness  of  the  cup  of  bliss  that  she  will  quaff,  to 
consider  marriage  only  in  the  light  of  completed  happiness. 
Anxious  thought  and  concern  for  all  that  marriage  involves, 
does  not  always  find  a  place  in  her  mind.  It  is  filled  with 
bright  dreams  and  pleasant  anticipations. 

And  yet  marriage  is  a  serious  step.  It  means  much.  It 
means  more  to  a  woman  than  it  does  to  a  man.  It  requires 
more  at  her  hands  than  it  does  at  his.  It  claims  greater 
sacrifices,  the  surrender  of  more  tender  and  precious  asso- 
ciations and  memories,  the  assumption  of  greater  changes 
in  her  life  than  in  his.  Together  they  go  out  in  the  world  to 
rear  a  new  home.  To  him  and  to  her  this  is  a  pleasant 
task.  It  should  be.  But  to  the  husband,  this  home-build- 
ing is  the  beginning  of  real  life.  Heretofore,  he  has  been 
homeless.  He  has  been  battling  life  and  enduring  its  bar- 

331 


332  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

renness.  Home  he  has  had  none.  He  has  dwelt  among 
strangers  and  lived  in  tents.  There  is  nothing  behind  him 
or  around  him  in  life  that  he  does  not  give  up  with  glad 
relief.  Even  though  he  go  out  from  a  happy  home,  he  has 
long  been  restless  in  it.  The  impulses  of  liberty  and  inde- 
pendence have  been  urging  him  on  to  separation  from  the 
home  of  his  father.  And  so  he  looks  forward  with  no 
regrets  over  what  he  must  give  up,  to  the  time  when  he 
shall  have  a  home  of  his  own. 

With  the  wife  it  is  not  so.  She  has  much  to  surrender 
that  has  fast  hold  upon  her  life  and  affections.  Woman  is 
essentially  a  home-maker  and  home-lover.  The  associa- 
tions and  surroundings  of  that  home  from  which  she  must 
go  are  interwoven  with  the  very  fabric  of  her  being.  She 
may  not  think  of  it  then,  but  she  will  when  the  time  of 
severance  comes,  and  for  long  days  afterward.  She  has 
been  a  part  of  that  home.  She  has  nestled  in  her  father's 
bosom  with  a  conscious  security.  She  has  leaned  upon  a 
brother's  strong  and  loving  arm,  and  been  his  sweet  com- 
forter in  trouble.  She  has  entwined  her  affections  about 
a  sister's  heart,  and  been  the  confidante  of  all  her  experi- 
ences. She  has  bathed  in  a  mother's  devotion  and  tender- 
ness, and  reposed  in  that  mother's  boundless  love.  All 
her  life  she,  in  turn,  has  been  tenderly  nurtured.  She  has 
had  a  father's  strength  and  wisdom  upon  which  she  could 
draw  at  all  times.  She  has  had  a  sympathetic  mother  to 
whom  every  trouble  could  be  confided  trustfully,  and  from 
whose  ripened  experience  instruction  could  ever  be 
obtained. 


THE   NEW   EPOCH.  333 

All  these  tender  associations,  these  helpful  surround- 
ings, these  interwoven  delights,  must  be  left  behind,  and  left 
forever.  Hitherto,  others  have  pointed  out  to  her  the  way; 
henceforth,  she  must  guide  her  own  steps.  Hitherto,  she 
has  followed  where  others  have  led  ;  henceforth,  she  must 
be  a  leader  herself.  Hitherto,  she  has  been  a  pupil,  sitting 
at  the  feet  of  trusted  preceptors  ;  henceforth,  she  must  be 
a  teacher.  A  radical  change  comes  over  her  whole  out- 
ward life.  Its  conditions  are  revolutionized  in  a  moment. 
She  is  no  longer  a  daughter  to  be  humored,  a  sister  to  be 
nurtured.  She  is  a  wife  to  counsel  with,  the  ruler  of  a 
home,  the  friend,  companion  and  comforter  of  a  husband. 

The  thoughtful  maiden,  contemplating  marriage,  must 
see  that  the  future  holds  many  unrevealed  experiences  in 
store  for  her.  She  must  realize  that  she  is  about  to  ven- 
ture into  a  new  world  for  which  she  is  largely  untried. 
She  goes  out  from  the  known  and  trusted  into  the  unknown 
and  doubtful.  Much  as  she  may  love,  implicitly  as  she 
may  trust  the  man  into  whose  keeping  she  commits  her  life, 
the  fact  must  come  to  her,  in  her  more  thoughtful  moments, 
that  he  is  still  a  stranger  to  her.  Though  she  may  have 
grown  up  side  by  side  with  him  from  childhood,  much  of 
his  life  has  been  passed  in  a  sphere  into  which  she  has 
never  entered.  Now,  indeed,  his  life  and  hers  must  be 
one.  She  must  share  his  thoughts  and  emotions,  his  affec- 
tions and  his  interests,  his  home  and  his  lot.  As  his  way 
leads,  so  must  hers.  As  his  joys  and  sorrows  come,  so 
must  hers.  As  his  motives,  ambitions,  and  interests 
impel,  so  must  hers.  And  she  must  be  cognizant  that  this 


334  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD, 

way,  these  experiences,  these  interests,  are  all  in  ways 
which  hitherto  she  has  not  known.  When  all  these  con- 
siderations are  conned  over  in  thought,  the  maiden  may 
well  be  rilled  with  anxious  concern. 

Outside  the  circle  of  her  home,  there  must  be  change 
too.  The  friends  and  confidantes  of  her  girlhood  must  be 
given  up.  The  new  life  into  which  she  enters  has  relations 
of  its  own,  and  these  necessitate  the  abrogation  of  her 
present  ties  and  relations.  She  has  girl  friends  to  whom 
she  is  greatly  attached.  With  them  she  has  often  talked 
of  the  eternity  and  unalterableness  of  their  affections,  and 
vowed  unwavering  constancy.  She  has  agreed  with  them 
that,  no  matter  what  others  have  done,  no  change  shall 
ever  come  over  the  nature  of  their  intercourse.  All  this 
she  has  done,  and  half-persuaded  herself  that  it  will  be  so. 
Yet,  down  in  her  heart  of  hearts,  she  knows  that  it  cannot 
be  so.  What  has  been  with  others,  she  will  repeat.  The 
wife  is  no  longer  the  girl.  The  step  that  takes  her  out  of 
the  one  relation  into  the  other,  separates  her  from  that 
which  is  left.  The  mutual  oneness  which  has  existed 
between  her  and  her  girl  friends  cannot  longer  be. 

All  these  things  are  said,  not  to  dismay  and  affright 
the  prospective  wife,  but  because  they  are  true.  They 
constitute  reasons  for  thoughtfulness,  not  for  discourage- 
ment. They  should  create  a  careful  weighing  of  the  step 
about  to  be  taken,  but  not  a  resolution  to  refuse  taking  it. 
The  change  to  be  made,  though  radical  and  in  many 
respects  novel,  is  a  natural  one,  and  will  bring  with  it  a 
fruition  of  joy  and  happiness  never  experienced  before. 


THE   NEW   EPOCH.  335 

If  the  maiden  have  chosen  wisely,  all  her  reasonable 
expectations  will  be  fully  met.  Wifehood  is  a  sphere 
vastly  larger  than  that  of  girlhood.  Its  privileges  and 
blessings  are  fully  commensurate  with  its  duties  and 
responsibilities.  Its  blessings  are  vastly  superior  to  those 
of  the  life  to  be  left  behind.  Its  joys  are  purer,  deeper, 
and  more  satisfactory.  Married  life  can  and  should  be  an 
unending  honeymoon  of  bliss.  The  husband  will  be  more 
than  father  and  mother,  brother  and  sister.  Conjugal  love 
is  wider  and  deeper,  sweeter  and  more  abiding  than  the 
loves  she  has  enjoyed  in  her  girlhood  home  and  life.  It  is 
an  all-absorbing  affection  that  meets  every  want,  fills  every 
longing,  satisfies  every  craving. 

The  marriage  day  has  come  and  gone.  The  maiden  is 
a  wife.  Maidenhood,  with  all  its  unalloyed  delights,  or 
whatever  it  may  have  been,  is  gone,  and  gone  never  to 
return.  Wifehood,  with  all  that  the  relation  implies,  is 
come.  The  future  of  many  a  bright  dream,  of  many  a 
fond  anticipation,  perhaps  of  many  an  anxious  care,  is  the 
present.  The  new  world  is  entered,  the  new  delights, 
duties  and  responsibilities  are  assumed,  the  new  life  is 
begun.  The  scenes  which  have  led  up  to. and  culminated 
in  the  marriage  ceremony  have  been  those  of  excitement 
and  bustle.  The  prospective  wife  has  been  the  busiest  of 
the  busy,  and  she  has  had  little  time  for  sober  thought. 
Now,  however,  the  bustle  and  excitement  come  to  an 
end. 

The  first  feelings  which  come  to  the  newly-made  wife 
are  those  of  strangeness.  She  scarce  can  realize  the  great 


336  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

change  that  has  come  over  her  life.  She  is  wearied  with 
all  the  excitement,  and  yet  almost  hysterical  with  the  new 
surroundings  in  which  she  finds  herself  placed.  A  feeling 
of  dread  comes  over  her,  and  she  holds  her  heart  to  stop 
its  fluttering.  She  is  homesick  for  the  friends  from  whose 
lives  she  has  passed.  One  moment  she  would  give  the 
world  to  be  back  from  whence  she  has  come ;  the  next 
she  feels  that  nothing  could  induce  her  to  change  her 
present  situation  and  relations.  One  moment  she  thinks 
she  would  like  to  fly  with  her  husband  to  the  furthest  part 
of  the  earth ;  the  next  she  is  oppressed  with  the  very 
thought  of  tearing  herself  away  from  familiar  surroundings. 
All  these  contradictory  emotions  are  the  natural  sequence 
of  nervous  excitement,  and  will  soon  pass  away.  She  will 
soon  become  accustomed  to  her  surroundings,  and  begin 
to  fully  realize  what  her  new  life  holds  in  store  for  her. 

She  will  soon  be  made  to  comprehend  that  her  whole 
social  life  is  changed.  Hitherto  all  her  relations  were 
those  of  birth.  Now  she  has  added  those  of  choice.  The 
old  natural  relations  are  overwhelmed  in  the  new.  To  a 
great  extent  the  new  relations  will  supersede  the  old. 
At  first  all  her  social  relations  will  center  in  the  one  — 
wife.  She  will  forget  that  she  is  a  daughter  or  sister,  and 
remember  only  that  she  is  a  wife.  She  will  forget  that 
she  has  parents  and  brothers  and  sisters,  and  remember 
only  that  she  has  a  husband.  He  will  be  all  in  all  to  her. 
It  is  a  delightful,  absorption.  If  she  be  happy  in  her 
choice,  this  feeling  of  union  with  and  absorption  in  one 
being  will  hold  sway  over  her  life  until  a  newer,  higher 
and  holier  comes  to  share  it. 


THE   MARRIAGE    CHAMBER.  337 

Other  relations  will  come  to  her  notice  by  and  by. 
She  will  find  her  husband's  family  is  her  family,  his  friends 
are  her  friends.  These  things  will  come  to  her  as  a  matter 
of  course.  They  will  not  disturb  her.  She  is  conscious 
in  every  life  added  to  the  circle  of  social  experience,  that 
it  comes  in  and  through  her  husband.  She  is  a  member 
of  her  husband's  family  only  because  she  is  his  wife ;  she 
accepts  the  friends  and  friendships  of  her  husband  because 
they  come  through  her  husband's  relation  to  herself.  And 
so  it  will  be  all  through  her  new  life.  Between  her  and 
all  outside  persons  and  things  stands  the  one  being  whom 
she  loves  and  trusts.  Whatever  comes  to  her  through 
him  she  will  gladly  accept.  When  children  are  born  to 
her,  she  will  love  them  not  a  little  because  they  are  her 
husband's  children  as  well  as  her  own.  The  past  will  fade 
farther  and  farther;  the  present  will  grow  dearer  and 
dearer ;  the  future  will  grow  brighter  and  more  hopeful. 
Happy  wife! 

The  Marriage  Chamber. 

A  bed-chamber  should  always,  if  possible,  be  on  the 
second  floor  of  the  home.  It  should  also  have  a  southern 
exposure.  The  advantage  of  this  is,  that  during  the  day 
the  sun  can  have  full  and  free  access  to  the  room,  drying 
and  purifying  it  and  its  contents.  There  is  greater  advan- 
tage in  this  location  than  is  generally  credited.  A  room 
upon  the  north  side  of  the  house  cannot  have  the  direct 
rays  of  the  sun,  and  is  likely  to  have  damp  and  musty 
walls.  Ventilation  cannot  be  had  so  satisfactorily  in  a 


338  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

room  on  this  side,  and  hence,  all  articles  in  the  room  are- 
likely  to  partake  of  more  or  less  of  dampness  and  conse- 
quent unhealthiness.  Many  articles  of  furniture,  especially 
carpets,  absorb  and  retain  disease-germs,  which  are  prop- 
agated. The  heat  and  light  of  the  sun's  rays  would 
destroy  these,  if  permitted  to  fall  upon  the  carpets  and 
upholstered  furniture. 

On  the  other  hand,  if  the  room  be  upon  the  south  side, 
where  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  may  fall  with  all  their 
strength,  the  walls  will  be  thoroughly  dried.  The  heat  will 
be  diffused  throughout  the  entire  room,  and  carpets,  cur- 
tains and  all  other  articles  in  the  room  will  be  purified 
thereby.  There  is  a  double  power  in  the  light  and  heat 
of  the  sun's  rays.  It  gives  life  and  destroys  life.  It  kills 
all  those  lower  orders  of  life,  which  are  such  fruitful 
sources  of  disease,  and  it  revivifies  the  life  in  the  higher 
orders  of  the  animal  kingdom. 

The  model  bed-chamber  should  be  large  and  airy.  A 
plentiful  supply  of  pure  air  is  one  of  the  essentials  of  con- 
tinued health.  Unless  the  ventilation  be  adequate,  in  a 
surprisingly  short  time  the  air  of  the  chamber  will  become 
poisoned  by  the  exhalations  from  the  body  through  the 
lungs  and  pores  of  the  skin.  The  length  of  time  in  which 
a  person  in  ordinary  health  would  survive  in  an  air-tight 
room  has  been  calculated  with  some  accuracy.  At  every 
inspiration  a  certain  amount  of  the  oxygen  of  the  air  would 
be  absorbed,  and  at  every  expiration  so  much  carbonic  acid 
gas  expelled.  This  gas  is  deadly  poisonous.  It  is  dis- 
charged from  the  lungs  of  an  adult  at  the  rate  of  fifteen  cubic 


THE   MARRIAGE    CHAMBER.  339 

fee  tin  twenty-four  hours.  If  the  air  breathed  be  impreg- 
nated with  this  gas  in  the  proportion  of  one  cubic  foot  of 
gas  to  twenty  feet  of  air,  it  is  fatal  to  human  life.  The  size 
of  the  room  can  easily  be  computed,  and  the  time  in  which 
the  air  would  become  too  impure  for  even  life  itself  can 
easily  and  readily  be  determined.  It  will  be  much  less 
than  that  arrived  at  by  the  above  figures,  because  these 
only  consider  the  exhalations  through  the  nostrils,  whereas 
through  the  pores  of  the  skin,  the  insensible  respiration, 
the  poisoning  goes  on  all  the  time. 

The  necessity  of  having  an  abundance  of  fresh  air  in 
all  living-rooms  is  thus  seen  to  be  great.  It  is  much  more 
so  in  sleeping-rooms  than  in  others.  When  the  body  is  in 
a  state  of  unconscious  repose,  it  has  least  power  to  resist 
the  evil  influences  which  may  invest  it.  A  man  may 
remain  for  hours  without  injury  in  conditions  which  would 
give  a  severe  cold,  should  he  fall  asleep  for  but  a  few  min- 
utes. The  same  will  hold  good  when  applied  to  suscepti- 
bility to  all  forms  of  disease. 

All  that  has  hitherto  been  said  of  the  conditions  of  the 
sleeping-chamber  applies  to  any  one  and  in  all  circum- 
stances. It  is  emphasized  when  applied  to  those  entering 
upon  the  new  and  extraordinary  conditions  of  married 
life.  There  is  always  more  or  less  excitement  of  the 
nervous  sensibilities  of  newly  married  people.  This 
carries  with  it  a  lessening  of  the  ability  to  resist  the 
influences  of  external  surroundings.  If  these  be  evil,  the 
system  is  liable  to  become  an  easy  victim  to  invading  dis- 
ease. The  marriage-chamber  should  be  upon  the  upper 


340  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

floor  of  the  house,  not  only  for  the  general  reasons 
hereinbefore  stated,  but  for  the  additional  one  of  greater 
privacy.  This  privacy  tends  to  lessen  the  feeling  of 
embarrassment  resulting  from  the  peculiar  concomitants  of 
the  new  social  relation. 

The  exercise  of  the  privilege  of  the  husband  and  wife 
to  occupy  the  same  room  and  the  same  bed  for  the  first 
time,  in  obedience  to  well-established  custom,  should  ever 
be  attended  with  a  proper  reserve.  Modesty  is  a  crown- 
ing beauty  in  woman,  and  such  an  epoch  in  her  life  as 
marriage  brings,  puts  this  grace  to  the  severest  test.  A 
decent  regard  for  this  quality  in  her,  and  a  sense  of  pro- 
priety, alike  demand  that  all  her  surroundings  at  this 
period  should  be  such  as  to  cause  the  least  excitement  and 
give  the  greatest  ease. 

The    Bed. 

No  %  part  of  the  entire  household  economy  and  the 
appurtenances  of  living  claim  a  greater  attention  than  the 
sleeping-couch.  Fully  one-third  of  the  life  is  spent  in 
bed.  Rest  and  sleep  are  Nature's  mode  of  restoring 
wasted  energies  and  recuperating  the  exhausted  vitality. 
Without  such  periods  of  constant  recuperation,  the  powers 
would  soon  languish,  the  health  would  fail,  life  itself 
would  succumb  to  the  drain  upon  the  system.  Every 
action  performed,  every  movement  made,  every  thought 
that  flashes  through  the  mind,  every  emotion  that  stirs  the 
soul,  produces  a  waste  of  tissue.  The  repair  is  largely 
made  during  sleep.  And  as  sleep  is  best  taken  when  the 


THE    BED.  341 

body  is  extended  prone  upon  the  couch,  the  importance 
of  having  this  couch  such  as  best  conduces  to  comfort  and 
health  is  apparent. 

The  constituents  of  a  good  bed,  that  is,  one  that  sub- 
serves the  dual  purpose  of  comfort  and  healthfulness,  is  a 
matter  of  some  difference  of  opinion.  It  was  thought, 
until  within  recent  years,  that  no  bed  could  be  comfortable 
unless  it  were  composed  of  feathers,  or  down.  Such  an 
opinion  is  not  now  held  extensively.  Experience  has 
demonstrated  that  feather-beds  are  neither  so  comfortable 
nor  so  healthful  as  mattresses  made  of  hair  and  wool,  or, 
better  still,  of  hair  and  cotton-wool  mixed.  A  bed  of 
such  composition  requires  care.  The  mattress  should  be 
opened  at  least  once  a  year  and  thoroughly  aired.  It 
should  be  exposed  to  the  sun,  also,  which  serves  to  thor- 
oughly renovate  it.  If  this  airing  and  sunning  be  not 
attended  to,  the  mattress  becomes  thoroughly  saturated 
with  exhalations  of  the  body,  in  the  insensible  respiration 
before  alluded  to,  and,  consequently,  is  a  seat  of  disease. 
The  bed  should  always  be  dry  and  warm.  A  cold  bed  is 
necessarily  a  damp  bed.  The  moisture  from  the  body  and 
from  the  atmosphere  of  the  room  is  condensed  upon  the 
surface  of  the  bed.  A  damp  room  will  soon  become 
musty.  The  person  sleeping  in  such  a  bed  and  room,  not 
only  becomes  debilitated  by  the  loss  of  animal  heat,  but 
is  poisoned  by  the  inhalations  of  the  musty,  germ-laden 
air  which  he  is  forced  to  breathe  during  sleep.  In  addi- 
tion, there  is  a  loss  of  vitality  constantly  going  on,  which, 
in  time,  will  tell  seriously  on  the  health  of  the  sleeper. 


V 
342        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

Beds  and  bed-coverings  should  be  aired  every  day.  If 
they  can  be  exposed  to  the  sun,  so  much  the  better. 
But  the  sunning  is  not  always  practicable  ;  the  airing  is. 
By  this  daily  renovation  the  unhealthy  accumulations  from 
the  body  during  the  night  are  mostly  removed.  It  is 
the  excellent  custom  of  the  Italians  to  leave  the  bed  and 
bedding  exposed  to  the  air  and  sun  during  the  entire  day. 
The  bed-coverings  should  be  composed  of  'porous  mate- 
rials. If  this  be  not  the  case,  the  breathing  through  the 
pores  of  the  skin  are  as  effectually  prevented  as  breathing 
through  the  lungs  would  be  if  the  mouth  and  nostrils 
should  be  covered  with  some  non-porous  fabric.  The 
moisture  excreted  through  the  pores,  which  is  larger  than 
is  generally  supposed,  finds  more  ready  escape  where  the 
covering  is  composed  of  porous  materials.  Woolen 
blankets  are  well  adapted  to  this  end. 

The  main  objection  made  by  sanitarians  to  feather 
beds  is,  that  they  have  a  readiness  in  absorbing  and  a 
tenacity  in  retaining  the  poisonous  exhalations  from  the 
body  of  the  sleeper.  Notwithstanding  all  that  has  been 
said  against  the  use  of  such  beds,  the  fact  remains  that 
they  are  still  used  extensively.  Probably  they  always 
will  be.  If  the  evil  cannot  be  abated,  it  may  be  miti- 
gated. So,  then,  if  feather  beds  be  used,  care  should  be 
taken  that  they  be  aired  every  day  for  several  hours  and 
thoroughly  renovated  at  least  every  half-year. 

It  may  be  advice  wasted  in  this  age  of  small  families 
and  no  desire  for  increase,  to  say  that  respectable  author- 
ity affirms  that  mattresses  made  of  sponge  enhance  the 


MARITAL   RELATIONS   AND    PRIVILEGES.  343 

possibilities  of  marital  fruitfulness.  Hemlock  boughs 
used  in  the  bed  are  said  to  conduce  to  the  same  end.  It 
has  been  noted,  that  families  living  in  the  neighborhood 
of  cone-bearing  forests  are  more  inclined  to  be  prolific 
than  those  living  elsewhere.  It  is  not  asserted  that  either 
of  the  suggestions  here  offered  is  a  specific  for  barrenness. 
That  is  quite  another  matter.  But  there  are  some 
degrees  of  barrenness  which  are  readily  cured  ;  and  for 
these,  the  suggestions  made  above  may  be  valuable. 

Marital  Relations  and  Privileges. 

The  relation  of  husband  and  wife  is  the  oldest,  the 
strongest,  the  most  intimate,  and  the  most  enduring  known 
to  earth.  The  oldest,  because  it  was  established  by  the 
Creator  Himself  at  the  dawn  of  the  world's  life,  in  the 
paradise  of  primal  habitation  ;  the  strongest,  because  it 
binds  each  party  to  the  other  in  bonds  which  cannot  be 
severed  save  by  death  or  crime;  the  most  intimate,  because 
they  twain  shall  be  one  flesh  ;  the  most  enduring,  because 
for  this  cause  shall  a  man  leave  parents  and  home  and 
friends,  and  shall  cleave  unto  his  wife  ;  her  life  shall  be 
his  life,  her  lot  shall  be  his  lot,  and  nothing  but  death 
shall  part  them. 

It  is  the  first  relation  because  it  stands  before,  and  is 
the  source  of  all  other  relations.  Before  parent  and  child, 
comes  husband  and  wife  ;  before  brother  and  sister  and 
all  the  varied  degrees  of  consanguinity,  stands  husband 
and  wife,  to  whom  all  must  look  for  their  origin.  When 
the  Divine  teacher  would  inform  his  pupils  that  the  rela- 


344  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

tions  of  this  life  do  not  obtain  in  the  eternal  world,  it  was 
only  necessary  for  him  to  say  that  "  in  the  resurrection 
they  do  neither  marry  nor  are  given  in  marriage. "  The 
conclusion  followed  irresistibly.  Take  this  relation  away, 
all  others  go  with  it. 

The  union  of  one  man  with  one  woman  in  the  marriage 
bonds  is  the  establishment  of  a  relationship  founded  in 
natural  affinity.  In  the  fundamental  organization  of  their 
physical  natures  and  the  mutual  adaptation  of  their  mater- 
ial structure  to  an  objective  end,  is  found  conclusive  dem- 
onstration that  they  are  intended  for  each  other.  They 
are  the  complements  each  of  the  other.  In  the  natural 
economy  each  enacts  a  part,  co-ordinate  and  not  sub-ordi- 
nate,  each  the  auxiliary  of  the  other.  They  are  imperfect 
in  separation,  perfect  in  union.  Apart  from  each  other, 
neither  is  adapted  for  fulfilling  the  essential  ends  of  being  ; 
conjoined,  the  great  end  and  purpose  of  nature  is  in  con- 
dition to  be  subserved.  A  celebrated  divine  has  said  : 
"  Had  God  intended  woman  to  be  the  master  of  man,  he 
would  have  taken  her  from  his  head.  Had  he  intended  to 
make  her  his  slave,  he  would  have  drawn  her  from  his  foot. 
But,  drawing  her  from  his  side,  he  made  her  the  compan- 
ion and  equal  of  man." 

In  entering  into  and  establishing  this  relation,  the 
maiden  becomes  the  wife.  She  enters  upon  a  new  sphere 
of  being,  at  once  the  sweetest,  the  most  tender  and  the 
most  natural.  The  fundamental  principle  of  the  marital 
relation  is  the  transmission  of  life  and  the  propagation  of 
the  species.  Such  a  purpose  is  necessary  to  the  purpet- 


MARITAL   RELATIONS    AND    PRIVILEGES.  345 

uation  of  the  race.  Death  would  soon  exterminate  the 
human  family  if  there  were  no  provision  to  supply  the 
places  of  those  cut  off.  In  subservience  of  this  supreme 
end,  the  wife  must  enact  a  principal  part.  Her  body  is 
the  receptacle  of  the  life-germ,  and  her  vitality  must  be 
laid  under  tribute  to  its  vitalization  and  development.  It 
is  important  that  she  be  imbued  with  a  knowledge  of  the 
part  she  is  to  take,  and  to  be  conscious  of  the  extent  of 
the  responsibility  under  which  she  must  rest.  Ignorant  of 
the  great  mysteries  of  being  in  its  inception  and  propaga- 
tion, she  may  rush  blindly  into  the  assumption  of  respon- 
sibilities with  a  haste  that  may  be  fatal  to  her  own 
happiness  and  well-being,  and  equally  inimical  to  the  wel- 
fare of  society  of  which  she  is  a  part. 

The  maiden-wife  comes  to  the  arms  of  her  husband 
weighed  down  with  an  embarrassment  which  only  time 
and  familiarity  can  dispel.  All  the  ceremonies  leading  up 
to  the  time  when  she  finds  herself  alone  in  the  bridal 
chamber  with  him  to  whom  her  life  is  now  joined,  have 
a  tendency  to  excite,  as  well  as  to  weary,  her  nervous 
system.  She  must  become  accustomed  to  the  new  rela- 
tion, the  new  surroundings,  and  her  nervous  system  should 
be  soothed. into  quiet. 

If  the  wife  have  observed  the  rules  laid  down  in  another 
part  of  this  work,  on  the  "  proper  characteristics  of  a  good 
husband,"  she  will  have  nothing  to  complain  of  nor  fear. 
Love  and  kindness,  predominating  in  the  heart  of  the 
husband,  will  restrain  all  impetuosity.  He  will  prove 
himself  the  stronger  and  the  wiser.  Looking  forward  to  a 


346  MAIDENHOOD    AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

long  life  of  happiness,  he  will  be  loth  to  impair  the  fair 
prospect.  Thoughtful  and  careful  of  the  loved  being  who 
is  now  all  his  own,  he  will  remember  that  she  is  his  to  love 
and  to  cherish.  She  is  his  wife,  not  his  mistress.  His 
care  is  to  make  her  happy.  His  highest  wish  is  to  relieve 
her  distress.  So  thinking  and  so  desiring,  he  will  study 
to  be  patient  and  forbearing,  loving  and  helpful. 

Many  a  newly-formed  family  has  had  its  happiness 
placed  in  jeopardy  by  the  application  of  an  unwarranted 
test  of  virginity.  From  ancient  times  has  come  down  the 
affirmation  that  the  night-robe  of  the  wife  should  show  the 
evidence  of  primary  condition.  Such  a  mark  establishes 
nothing,  either  by  its  presence  or  its  absence.  It  does  not 
always  attend  the  loss  of  maidenhood,  and  it  may  be  found 
where  widows  are  re-married,  and  even  with  wives  who 
havfe  been  long  separated  from  their  husbands.  The  tem- 
perament of  the  wife  has  much  to  do  with  the  external 
sequences  of  the  marriage-bed.  Temperament  exercises 
a  marked  influence  over  the  muscles  and  tissues  of  the 
body,  as  well  as  over  every  variety  and  kind  of  discharges 
from  it.  The  tissues  of  the  lymphatic  and  pale  blondes 
are  softer  and  more  relaxed  than  those  of  brunettes  ;  the 
former  are  more  troubled  with  weakness,  and,  conse- 
quently, suffer  less  pain  in  the  exercise  of  any  of  the 
functions  of  the  body  than  brunettes.  General  constitu- 
tional disturbances  and  disorders  of  the  nervous  system 
are  apt  to  follow  the  enjoyment  of  the  new  relations  of 
wife.  Care,  prudence  and  moderation  should  be  exercised 
in  the  marital  relations  at  the  first.  Imprudence  and  excess 


MARITAL   RELATIONS   AND   PRIVILEGES.  347 

are  liable  to  lay  the  foundations  for  much  pain  and  suffer- 
ing in  the  future. 

To  the  wife  it  may  be  said  that  a  congenial  and  exclu- 
sive soul-union  is  the  great  object  desired  in  entering  into 
the  marriage  relation.  Such  congeniality  and  exclusive- 
ness  is  the  basis  of  her  happiness  and  the  foundation  upon 
which  her  family  must  be  reared.  Domestic  order  rests 
upon  it,  and  prosperity  and  happiness  flow  from  it.  With 
it  existing  in  full  strength,  other  domestic  virtues  will  not 
be  wanting.  Connubial  fidelity  is  mutually  enjoined  by 
the  highest  authority,  and  is  involved  in  the  very  nature 
of  the  relation  itself.  Any  departure  from  the  strictest 
fidelity  to  marital  obligations  is  repulsive  to  the  right 
reason,  and  interdicted  by  the  sternest  maledictions  of 
divine  law.  The  husband  and  wife  are  to  be  all  and  all  to 
each  other.  The  chastity  which  restrained  each  before 
marriage,  should  now  bind  each  with  a  stronger  obligation. 
Unchastity  now  on  the  part  of  either  is  a  graver  crime 
than  before.  It  has  a  sterner  term  applied  to  it,  a  severer 
penalty  attached  in  both  divine  and  human  law. 

Conjugal  faithfulness,  however,  is  not  the  only  virtue 
comprehended  in  the  marriage  covenant  and  relation. 
There  should  be  reciprocity  of  affection.  One  wish,  one 
aim  and  one  desire  should  animate  husband  and  wife. 
The  husband  should  look  to  his  wife  as  the  supreme  light, 
joy  and  solicitude  of  his  life.  The  wife  should  look  to 
her  husband  as  the  lord  of  her  life  and  the  master  of  her 
affections.  Deep,  abiding  reverence,  each  for  the  other, 
should  dominate  the  hearts  of  both.  The  all-absorbing 


348        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

desire  of  each  should  be  the  happiness  of  both.  The 
germination  of  life  and  the  propagation  of  the  species  is 
not  the  only  end  to  be  attained  by  the  union  of  one  man 
and  one  woman.  It  contemplates  the  union  of  two  souls, 
the  commingling  of  two  complementary  natures,  and  the 
cooperation  of  both  to  their  mutual  happiness  and  moral 
perfection. 

It  is  essential  that  conjugal  love  should  be  more  of  the 
soul  than  of  the  body.  Sensual  love  is  shallow  and  transi- 
tory. It  wastes  itself  in  its  gratification.  The  love  that 
should  bind  husband  and  wife  together  in  perpetual 
harmony  must  find  its  seat  in  the  depths  of  the  soul.  It 
passes  beyond  and  beneath  the  mere  passion  of  animal 
desire,  and  satisfies  itself  only  in  the  respect,  confidence, 
reverence  and  trust  which  each  spouse  reposes  in  the 
other. 

Proper  and   Improper  Sexual    Indulgences. 

Marriage,  like  every  other  relation,  while  it  gives  cer- 
tain rights,  also  enjoins  peculiar  duties.  The  whole  animal 
kingdom  is  found  in  pairs  and  adapted  to  the  propagation 
each  of  its  kind.  The  beginning  of  human  life,  according 
to  divine  revelation,  was  in  the  creation  of  two  beings  of 
opposite  sex.  No  other  provision  was  made  for  the  increase 
of  the  race  save  that  which  inhered  in  the  constitutions  of 
these  two  beings.  In  their  physical  organisms  were  im- 
planted the  germs  and  organs  necessary  in  the  propagation 
of  their  species. 

The   order   of  life-production   is   easily   traced.       The 


PROPER  AND  IMPROPER  SEXUAL  INDULGENCE.   349 

primary  germ  of  the  new  being  is  contained  in  the  pro- 
creative  organs  of  the  adult  male  and  female.  These  com- 
plementary organs  must  be  brought  in  close  proximity. 
The  principle  of  affinity  unites  them  in  the  uterus  of  the 
female,  which  is  adapted  to  the  growth  and  development 
of  the  life-germ.  The  union  of  the  initial  germs  of  a  new 
life  are  superinduced  through  the  act  of  coition.  This  act 
is  followed  by  lassitude  and  fatigue,  and  in  this  state  may 
be  found  a  suggestion  as  to- the  limitation  which  should  be 
placed  upon  its  frequency.  The  specific  effect  of  coition 
upon  the  whole  animal  economy  is  debilitating.  It  is  a 
drain  upon  the  vital  forces.  One  does  not  need  to  look 
far  to  see  wan  women  and  pale  babes,  nor  need  he  search 
far  for  the  cause  of  both.  It  is  the  duty  of  women,  and 
especially  and  peculiarly  that  of  men,  to  transmit  the  very- 
best  of  themselves  to  their  offspring.  This  they  cannot  do, 
if,  by  too  frequent  coition,  they  weaken  their  own  vital 
force.  The  great  death  rate  among  children,  so  much 
greater  than  that  among  almost  any  species  of  lower  ani- 
mals is  an  appalling  evidence  of  the  prostitution  of  marriage. 
A  reasonable  regard  for  the  improvement  of  the  race,  for 
the  preservation  of  personal  health  and  beauty,  urges  upon 
persons  in  the  married  state  to  be  prudent  and  temperate 
in  all  things. 

Among  domesticated  animals,  except  in  rare  instances, 
the  female  never  admits  the  male  in  sexual  commerce 
except  for  the  purpose  of  procreation.  Among  some  of 
the  wilder  savage  tribes  the  same  rule  is  said  to  prevail. 
It  remains  for  the  people  of  the  highest  civilization  and 


350  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

intellectual  and  moral  development  to  hold,  teach,  and 
practice  that  sexual  commerce  between  man  and  wife  may 
be  had  at  any  and  all  times  when  desire  or  passion  may 
prompt  to  the  act.  The  reasons  advanced  in  support  of 
this  teaching  and  practice  may  be  briefly  stated. 

It  is  held  by  some  that  sexual  indulgence  is  a  physio- 
logical necessity  to  the  man,  but  not  to  the  woman.  If 
this  be  true,  it  shows  a  remarkable  defect  in  the  wisdom 
of  the  Being  who  made  both.  It  would  be  a  manifest 
impropriety  to  create  one  sex  with  a  propensity,  a  necessary 
craving  which  could  be  met,  save  at  the  expense  of  the 
other.  Revelation  and  nature  alike  teach  that  there  exists 
a  most  perfect  harmony  in  the  universe.  It  would  be  an 
astonishing  anomaly  to  find  in  the  highest  of  the  Creator's 
works  such  an  incongruity  as  a  necessity  without  the 
means  of  meeting  it. 

By  others  it  is  held  that  the  act  of  coition  is  a  love 
relation,  mutually  demanded  and  enjoyed.  It  is  a  purely 
love-act,  the  emblem  and  fruition  of  love  itself.  It  should 
never  be  engaged  in  except  when  there  is  mutual  partici- 
pation, and  should  be  so  guarded  and  governed  as  to 
control  the  creative  power.  It  is  claimed  that  sexual  com- 
merce in  lawful  relations  is  the  supremacy  and  essence  of 
love  itself.  By  it  there  is  a  mutual  exchange  of  those 
subtle  elements  which  give  health  and  vigor  of  both  hus- 
band and  wife,  and  more  firmly  cement  the  union  between 
them.  If  the  practice  of  married  people  were  in  strict 
conformity  to  the  rule  laid  down,  the  desires  and  demands 
of  the  husband  would  be  no  more  frequent  than  those  <?f 


PROPER   AND    IMPROPER   SEXUAL   INDULGENCE.       351 

the  wife.  Further,  that  it  is  not  possible  for  the  husband 
to  sustain  this  relation  satisfactorily  and  without  injury 
unless  there  be  reciprocation  on  the  part  of  the  wife. 
Under  this  mutual  relation  there  is  no  loss  to  either,  but  a 
mutual  compensation.  What  each  gives  off  in  the  sexual 
act  is  received  by  the  other ;  that  is  to  say,  the  loss  of 
vital  force  of  the  husband  is  no  more  than  the  force  he 
receives  from  the  wife,  and- vice  versa. 

This  would  furnish  a  sufficiently  safe  rule  for  the  gov- 
ernment of  sexual  desire,  if  the  appetite  were  not  depraved 
through  a  cultivated  abuse.  Herein  lies  its  chief  difficulty. 
When  marriage  is  generally  consummated,  both  parties  are 
in  youth  and  health.  They  are  in  new  relations.  The 
moral  right  of  gratification  and  the  opportunity  for  the 
same  seem  to  warrant  excess.  No  apparent  injury  results. 
And  so  the  excess  is  continued  until  an  abnormal  appetite 
is  created.  In  this  condition,  the  application  of  the  rule  . 
is  attended  with  extreme  difficulty. 

A  third  theory  for  the  regulation  of  this  privilege  is  that 
sexual  commerce  should  never  be  indulged  except  where 
there  is  the  intent  of  procreation.  It  has  many  advocates, 
and  is  certainly  more  in  harmony  with  the  general  laws  of 
nature  as  observed  to  obtain  among  the  lower  animal  crea- 
tion. In  advocacy  of  this  theory,  it  is  urged  that  the 
procreative  organs  were  given  for  that  end.  It  is  an  end 
that  transcends  that  of  mere  animal  gratification.  In 
opposition  to  the  assertion  that  the  nature  of  man  requires 
that  at  intervals  the  life-giving  element  should  be  given 
off,  it  is  claimed  that  its  retention  in  the  system  is  highly 


352  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

beneficial.  By  some  mysterious  process  of  the  system,  it 
is  absorbed  and  diffused  throughout  the  entire  organism, 
replacing  waste  and  revivifying  the  whole  system  in  a 
peculiar  manner.  It  is  taken  up  by  the  brain  and  coined 
into  new  thought,  perhaps  new  inventions,  and  grand 
conceptions,  or  into  new  and  fresh  impulses  of  kindness, 
joy  and  beneficence  to  all  around.  It  is  a  procreation  on 
moral  and  spiritual,  instead  of  on  physical  planes.  It  is 
as  really  a  part  of  the  generative  functions  as  the  beget- 
ting of  offspring.  Many  eminent  examples  are  cited  of 
men  who  have  made  grand  achievements  in  the  fields  of 
science,  philosophy,  invention,  religion  and  philanthropy, 
whose  lives  have  been  spent  in  accordance  with  this  theory, 
as  Plato,  Newton,  Irving,  Whittier. 

To  woman  belongs  the  creative  power,  and  to  her 
should  be  delegated  the  choice  when  a  new  life  is  to  be 
evolved.  It  is  only  by  adhering  to  this  law  that  she  is 
able  to  fulfill  in  highest  perfection  the  great  function 
of  her  being  —  the  function  of  maternity.  Mrs.  Chandler, 
in  her  pamphlet,  "  Motherhood,"  says:  "  Every  mother, 
from  the  hour  when  the  new  life  commences,  is  over- 
shadowed by  the  Most  High,  and,  could  she  understand 
her  needs  and  powers,  and  secure  to  herself  respect  due 
her  sacred  office,  and,  free  from  all  polluting  intrusion 
upon  herself,  bathe  her  spirit  in  the  influxes  which  the 
life  within  attracts,  very  rapidly  would  disappear  the 
loathsome  deformities,  the  discordant  spirits  now  blotting 
the  fair  proportions  of  humanity. "  She  supports  this 
assertion  by  quoting  from  the  sacred  account  of  the  incar- 
nation of  the  child  Jesus  ;  for  the  declaration  is  that 
• 

1 8  H  JJ I 


PROPER  AND  IMPROPER  SEXUAL  INDULGENCE.   353 

Joseph  "  knew  not  "  Mary  from  the  time  of  the  annuncia- 
tion of  the  inception  of  the  new  life  until  the  child  was 
born.  In  this  is  involved  a  more  profound  and  important 
meaning  than  the  Christian  world  or  the  medical  pro- 
fession has  yet  discovered.  This  "  undisturbed  maternity  " 
which  obtained  in  the  ushering  into  the  world  of  the 
Prince  of  Peace,  is  equally  in  all  cases  an  indispensable 
necessity  for  the  higher  development  of  humanity. 
Motherhood  is  a  shrine  which  should  be  kept  sacred  from 
one  touch  of  selfishness  or  lust.  "  O,  Woman!  This 
would  be  thy  recompense  for  all  the  suffering  and  agonies 
which  pertain  to  physical  womanhood  and  motherhood." 

This  theory  has  the  support  of  many  men  and  women 
high  in  authority,  and  the  example  of  all  the  lower 
animal  kingdom,  where  the  female  reserves  to  herself  the 
right  to  control  her  procreative  functions.  In  the  exer- 
cise of  this  right  she  is  left  undisturbed  by  the  male. 
There  is,  however,  no  well-established  reason  in  nature 
for  incontinence  during  the  period  of  gestation.  The 
weight  and  preponderance  of  the  argument,  however,  is 
that  the  mother  should  be  exempted  from  sexual  relations 
during  that  period.  Toward  this  end  the  truly  tender 
and  thoughtful  husband  should  be  ready  to  lend  his  aid. 
He  should  be  mindful  of  the  additional  care  and  responsi- 
bility which  rests  upon  his  wife  during  gestation,  and 
seek  to  relieve  her  b,urdens  to  the  utmost  of  loving  care. 
Her  interests  and  those  of  the  unborn  child  depend  very 
largely  upon  her  husbanding  all  her  resources  of  strength 
and  nervous  force.  She  must  do  this  in  order  to  maintain 


354  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

her  own  health  in  the  trying  time  of  birth,  and  to  bestow 
upon  her  child  that  vitality  which  will  insure  it  a  perfect 
health  and  development.  Dr.  Stockham  truly  says:  "  No 
one  means  will  more  greatly  palliate  the  many  nervous 
symptoms  of  pregnancy  than  by  observing  the  law  of  con- 
tinence." 

Physical  and   Moral   Effects  of   Excess. 

» 

It  is  within  justifiable  limits  to  say  that  with  newly- 
married  couples  excessive  sexual  indulgence  is  the  rule. 
In  many  instances  the  results  are  most  unhappy.  Such 
excess  is  a  prostitution  of  the  clearly -established  functions 
of  the  marriage  relation.  More  than  this,  it  not  infre- 
quently creates  a  repugnance  in  the  wife,  not  only  for  the 
act  itself,  but,  it  is  to  be  feared,  for  the  husband.  The 
latter  statement  may  be  too  strong;  it  will  at  least  suffer 
nothing  of  truth  if  modified  to  the  extent  that  such 
excess  often  leads  to  a  loosening  of  the  very  foundations 
of  affection  in  the  hearts  of  both  husband  and  wife.  Out 
of  this  may,  and  often  has,  grown  estrangement  and 
infidelity. 

Sometimes  the  young  husband  inflicts  upon  the  newly- 
made  wife,  whom  he  has  so  recently  pledged  himself  to 
cherish  and  protect,  very  grave  physical  injuries  from 
which  long  years  of  the  most  skillful  treatment  may  not 
entirely  free  her.  A  case  in  point  may  not  be  amiss:  It 
is  that  of  a  young  woman,  apparently  blessed  with  all  the 
charms  of  youth,  beauty  and  health.  She  was  wooed, 
won  and  eventually  married  to  a  young  man  who  had 


PHYSICAL   AND    MORAL   EFFECTS   OF    EXCESS.        355 

lost  a  former  wife  by  death.  Immediately  subsequent  to 
the  marriage,  the  pair  started  on  the  conventional  wedding 
tour,  which,  in  this  instance,  lasted  only  a  fortnight.  At 
the  end  of  this  time  they  returned  home,  but,  alas,  the 
young  wife  was  a  hopeless  imbecile  —  a  victim  to  her 
husband's  unrestrained  impetuosity.  It  was  a  sad  case, 
but  unhappily  not  the  only  one  on  record  of  a  similar 
kind.  Instances  are  not  so  rare  of  young  women  who 
come  to  the  altar  blooming  brides,  enjoying  excellent 
health,  free  from  any  disease,  and  return  from  their  honey- 
moon pale,  feeble  shadows  of  their  former  selves,  and 
doomed  to  a  life  of  suffering  —  all  through  the  prostitu- 
tion of  the  presumed  functions  of  the  married  relation. 
Why,  it  may  be  asked,  does  not  woman  assert  her  rights, 
and  refuse  to  become  a  mere  machine  for  the  gratification 
of  a  man's  passion?  The  answer  is  not  difficult,  nor  need 
far  search  be  made  to  find  it.  It  is  because  most  women, 
when  they  enter  the  married  state,  have  but  a  faint  con- 
ception of  what  they  are  there  to  encounter.  It  may  be 
virtue,  or  chastity,  or  modesty,  or  mere  prudery  —  it 
matters  little  by  what  name  it  is  called — but  the  fact 
remains  that  the  large  majority,  even  of  the  most  intelli- 
gent young  women,  go  to  a  husband's  arms  with  little  or 
no  knowledge  of  the  meaning  of  sex.  They  have  a  cer- 
tain knowledge  that  they  are  to  marry  a  man,  and  that  a 
man  is  a  being  different  from  themselves  in  certain 
regards.  They  may  even  have  advanced  so  far  in  knowl- 
edge as  to  be  able  to  realize  that  they  are  to  wed  one 
whose  sex  is  complementary  of  their  own,  and  from  this 


356  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD 

difference  and  complemence  certain  processes  in  nature 
can  and  must  be  evolved.  But  her  knowledge  is  as  vague 
and  indefinite  as  the  language  in  which  it  is  here  stated. 
Of  the  male  nature,  its  propensities,  its  passions,  its 
strength  and  its  weakness,  she  knows  no  more  than  she 
did  of  herself  when  nature  ushered  her,  all  unprepared, 
from  childhood  into  maidenhood.  All  this  is  sad  enough 
to-  relate.  It  is  sadder  still  to  have  to  say  that  with  this 
ignorance  generally  there  is  coupled  an  indifference. 
She  does  not  know,  and  she  does  not  care  to  know.  Any 
attempt  to  inform  her  is  received  coldly  if  not  with  repul- 
sion. Her  modesty  is  shocked  that  she  be  called  upon 
to  investigate  such  a  thing.  There  is  time  enough,  she 
says  in  effect,  to  know  all  this  when  it  is  right  to 
know  it. 

And  so  the  poor,  innocent  girl  goes  as  a  lamb  to  the 
slaughter.  She  comes  to  her  husband  in  virgin  purity  and 
innocence.  This  is  well,  if  innocence  be  not  another  name 
for  ignorance,  as  it  frequently  is.  Modesty  is  a  virtue 
which  is  a  crown  of  glory  to  every  woman.  But  there  is 
no  offense  to  modesty  when  knowledge  of  the  utmost 
importance  is  gleaned.  A  woman  owes  it  to  herself,  her 
health,  her  husband,  her  children,  to  society,  that  she 
should  be  intelligently  informed,  before  it  is  too  late  to 
benefit  by  the  knowledge,  what  is  for  her  own  good. 

The  basic  principle  in  the  married  relation  is  love.  The 
basis  of  genuine,  lasting  love  is  respect.  Any  act  or  any 
succession  of  acts  which  tends  to  undermine  this  respect, 
and,  of  course,  this  love,  is  to  be  frowned  upon.  Sexual 


PHYSICAL   AND   MORAL   EFFECTS   OF   EXCESS.        357 

excess  comes  in  this  category  of  condemnable  acts,  and  for 
the  reasons  stated.  Such  excess  is  no  proper  constituent 
of  true  love.  It  is  mere  sensuality,  a  passion  which  has 
for  its  components  the  base  qualities  of  moral  depravity. 
Genuine  love  is  formed  of  purer  and  higher  elements  than 
those  which  enter  into  sensual  gratification.  Lust  digs 
the  grave  of  love  and  indulgence  buries  it.  Marriage,  it 
is  falsely  said,  is  the  tomb  of  love.  Such  an  epigram 
could  only  have  its  birth  in  the  heart  and  be  voiced  by  the 
lips  of  one  who  knew  naught  of  the  sources  of  genuine 
affection.  If  love  be  only  another  name  for  sensual  pleas- 
ure, then  may  the  truth  of  this  unholy  thought  be 
allowed. 

This  is  not  the  truth.  Connubial  love  may  exist,  and 
wedded  happiness  bloom  brightly  even  where  there  is  no 
sexual  commerce.  Its  purer  delights  may  be  enjoyed 
without  the  grosser  pleasures.  These,  indeed,  are  neces- 
sary in  the  fulfillment  of  one  great  end  of  marriage,  namely, 
the  propagation  of  the  species,  but  they  are  not  essential, 
absolutely,  to  either  the  health  or  the  happiness  of  either 
the  man  or  the  woman.  Happy,  indeed,  the  man  who  has 
so  disciplined  his  desires  that  they  may  be  controlled  within 
proper  physiological  bounds,  and  may,  if  necessity  so 
counsel,  be  controlled  altogether. 

The  statements  here  made  will  not  find  ready  acceptance 
with  those  who  have  practiced  differently.  The  conclusions 
are  a  condemnation  of  themselves.  But  there  are  thousands 
of  men  and  women  who  will  cordially  approve,  and  from 
their  own  experience  draw  out  testimony  in  corroboration. 


358        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

There  are  wives,  thousands  of  them,  who  to-day  are 
victims  to  unbridled  lust.  It  is  none  the  less  lust  because 
protected  by  the  legal  authority  of  marriage.  Their  lives 
are  made  miserable  because  their  husbands  are  brutally 
indifferent  to  the  higher  claims  —  moderation  and  temper- 
ance. A  respected  writer  says  that  "  from  a  physiological 
as  well  as  from  a  moral  standpoint,  a  sexual  congress  in 
which  the  wife  is  an  unwilling  and  passive  instrument,  is  no 
better  than  an  act  of  masturbation. "  The  language  is 
strong,  but  undeniably  true.  Sexual  excess  lays  the 
foundation  for  domestic  infelicity.  Banish  lust  from  the 
marriage-bed.  Bind  down  the  passions  to  the  severe  rules 
of  common  sense,  reason,  and  physiological  law,  and  half 
the  evils  of  married  life  will  disappear. 

Painful  Congress. 

The  human  body  is  endowed  with  certain  senses  and 
functions.  The  primary  plan  contemplates  that  in  the  use 
of  the  one  and  the  exercise  of  the  other,  there  should  be 
excited  pleasurable  emotions.  Through  sight  the  soul  is 
stirred  with  the  motion  of  the  beautiful  in  form,  color,  etc. 
Through  the  sense  of  hearing  comes  the  pleasurable 
emotion  excited  by  melodious  sounds.  And  so  with  taste, 
touch,  smell,  etc.  This  is  the  natural  state.  It  is  an 
integral  part  of  the  primal  plan  of  the  Divine  Architect. 
Where  pleasurable  emotions  are  not  stirred,  it  is  evidence 
of  a  diseased  condition  of  the  organ  through  which  the 
sense  operates. 

The  proposition  stated  above  ie  emphatically  true  in 


PAINFUL   CONGRESS.  359 

the  case  of  the  exercise  of  the  procreative  functions. 
There  never  should  be  any  pain  experienced  by  the  wife, 
after  the  first  two  or  three  approaches,  in  the  copulative 
act.  It  not  infrequently  happens,  however,  that  there  is 
not  only  the  absence  of  all  enjoyment,  but  the  coitive  act 
is  attended  with  positive  pain  to  her.  When  such  is  the 
case,  it  is  proof  positive  that  there  is  some  derangement 
of  her  procreative  organs,  and  an  investigation  into  the 
cause  should  be  made  at  once. 

This  derangement  may  partake  of  the  nature  of  a 
diseased  condition  of  some  of  the  parts.  If,  for  example, 
there  should  exist,  from  some  imprudency,  a  displacement 
of  the  womb,  an  ulcerated  condition  of  its  neck  or  mouth, 
or  any  inflammation  of  the  parts,  the  sexual  commerce 
would  most  likely  be  attended  with  inconvenience.  Such 
pain,  however,  is  more  generally  traceable  to  diseases  of 
the  ovaries.  If  from  any  cause  these  be  irritable  or 
inflamed,  the  excitement  of  them  consequent  upon  the 
venereal  act  would  increase  the  irritation,  and  be  painful 
instead  of  pleasurable.  The  condition  is  similar  to  that  in 
the  operation  of  other  organs  of  the  body.  When  the 
health  is  good  and  the  action  of  the  stomach  free  and  full, 
food  may  be  passed  into  it  with  impunity.  But  if  it  have 
lost  its  power  to  free  action  through  excessive  gorman- 
dizing or  from  any  other  cause,  every  contribution  to  it  is 
accompanied  with  suffering. 

It  very  frequently  happens  that  the  abuse  of  the  pro- 
creative  organs  by  excessive  indulgence  or  pregnancies 
will  produce  such  a  condition  of  the  vagina  and  uterus  as 


360  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

to  make  all  coition  unenjoyable.  If  there  be  no  real  pain 
felt  during  the  act,  it  is  probable  that  continence  for  a 
season  will  restore  the  organs  to  the  normal  condition. 
But  if  there  be  pain  at  every  approach,  accompanied  with 
great  nervous  disturbance,  it  is  an  evidence  of  disease.  A 
physician  should  be  consulted  at  once.  Until  he  has 
passed  judgment,  there  should  be  no  commerce  whatever. 
The  most  painful  of  all  complaints  are  of  venereal  origin. 
Too  much  care  cannot  be  given  to  guard  against  all 
approaches  of  disease  in  these  organs,  nor  can  the  case  be 
attended  too  quickly  when  derangement  has  actually  taken 
place.  The  general  principle  in  the  whole  matter  is  that 
in  health  the  act  of  coition  is  pleasurable.  If  it  is  not  so, 
there  is  some  disease. 

Offspring. 

A  prime  purpose  contemplated  in  marriage  is  the  pro- 
duction of  children.  This  is  evident  from  the  very  nature 
of  sex,  from  the  necessities  of  the  case,  and  from  the 
divine  law  appointing  and  sanctioning  marriage.  It  is  not 
that  one  man  and  one  woman  may  be  made  more  happy 
in  each  other  and  better  fitted  for  enjoying  the  pleasures 
of  being  that  marriage  was  instituted.  These  certainly 
are  ends  attained  by  marriage,  and  properly  belong  to  it. 
But  it  has  an  ulterior  end.  Self  and  self-gratification  is 
not  the  end  of  life.  The  peopling  of  the  earth  and  the 
perpetuation  of  the  race  are  ends  residing  in  and  proceed- 
ing from  the  marriage  relation.  It  is  the  way  instituted 
by  the  great  Lawgiver  for  properly,  wisely  and  safely  c  n- 
summating  His  purpose  concerning  the  earth  and  man 


OFFSPRING.  361 

In  creation,  He  established  the  family  and  appointed 
its  duties.  This  institution  has  been  projected  through  all 
the  succeeding  ages,  and  is  a  permanent  element  of  society 
to-day.  The  notion  of  family  is  not  fully  exemplified  in 
husband  and  wife.  It  is  wider  and  more  comprehensive. 
It  includes  the  procreation  of  new  beings.  A  family  is 
imperfect,  incomplete,  if  it  do  not  include  children.  It  is 
not  only  a  privilege,  but  a  clearly-incurred  duty  of  mar- 
riage, that  it  should  contemplate  the  begetting  and  rear- 
ing of  new  lives.  It  is  essential  to  the  well-being  of 
society  that  such  duty  be  accepted  and  discharged,  unless 
there  be  insurmountable  obstacles  in  the  way.  What  is 
duty  and  law  for  one  husband  and  wife  is  law  and  duty  for 
every  such  family.  If  one  family  can  ignore  this  duty  and 
responsibility,  all  families  can.  This,  if  practiced,  would 
mean  the  destruction  of  society  and  the  extinction  of  the 
race. 

It  is  rare,  indeed,  that  a  marriage  is  made  in  which 
both  contracting  parties  do  not  contemplate  the  rearing  of 
children.  The  instincts  of  paternity  and  maternity  inhere 
in  the  constitutions  of  men  and  women.  Parental  love  is 
an  ingredient  of  the  emotional  natures  of  all.  Conjugal 
affection  is  sweet,  profound  and  absorbing.  But  there  are 
depths  of  the  soul  to  which  it  does  not  and  cannot  reach. 
There  are  profundities  of  natural  affection  which  the  most 
absorbing  marital  passion  cannot  fathom.  There  is  an 
unformulated  consciousness  of  this  in  the  heart  of  every 
husband  and  wife.  However  tender  their  mutual  affectior 
may  be,  they  are  both  conscious  of  a  lack  ;  something  i 


362        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

wanting  to  completeness  of  union  and  love.  There  are 
yearnings  in  the  heart  which  do  not  find  satiety  in  any 
token  of  affection,  given  or  received.  However  happy 
and  contented  each  may  be  in  the  other,  there  is  ever 
present  a  feeling  that  there  is  a  cup  of  blessing  from  which 
they  have  not  drunk. 

In  most  cases,  perhaps,  the  expectation  of  offspring  in 
the  immediate  post-marital  life  is  not  great.  Most  new 
families  prefer  that  they  should  live  in  each  other  for  a 
time.  They  do  not  wish  to  be  compelled  to  assume  the 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  parents  at  once.  They  have 
youth  and  youthful  inclinations,  and  they  do  not  desire 
that  these  should  be  cut  short  by  the  demands  of  parent- 
age. While  this  is  admittedly  true,  and  not  censured  as 
wrong,  it  also  remains  true  that  few,  very  few,  husbands 
and  wives  there  are  who  do  not  look  forward  to  the  time 
when  they  shall  have  children  in  their  homes.  It  was 
a  part  of  the  prospect  of  married  life  as  viewed  from  afar. 
AS  they  came  nearer  and  nearer  to  it,  the  background  with 
its  little  ones  drew  nearer  also,  and  brighter  and  more  invit- 
ing. After  the  new  family  is  instituted  and  the  new  home 
set  up,  the  vision  comes  still  nearer,  until  it  becomes  a 
reality.  No  more  bitter  sorrow  can  come  to  the  heart  of 
a  true  and  loving  wife  than  to  be  told  that  she  can  never 
become  a  mother.  No  more  serious  weight  can  fall  upon 
the  heart  of  a  husband  than  to  be  made  to  know  that  he 
can  never  become  a  father.  No  greater  sadness  can  fall 
upon  a  home  than  the  consciousness  that  it  must  ever 
remain  without  children  in  it. 


OFFSPRING.  363 

Children  are,  to  a  home,  a  blessing  greater  than  all 
other  blessings  besides.  Mrs.  Oliphant  has  truly  said  that 
"  there  is  nothing  in  all  the  world  so  blessed  or  so  sweet 
as  the  heritage  of  children."  They  are  the  light  and 
warmth  of  the  home.  A  house  without  a  child  is  like  a 
lawn  without  a  flower,  a  woman  without  the  charms  of 
womanhood.  They  are  as  the  sunlight  to  the  home  whose 
cheerful  rays  brighten  the  gloom  which  trials  and  reverses 
scatter  along  life's  way.  The  cares  and  sorrows  which 
attach  themselves  to  all  earthly  conditions  are  mellowed 
and  tempered  by  the  happy  faces  and  merry  voices  of 
children.  There  is  no  more  gloomy  spot  on  earth  than 
that  home  where  old  age  has  come  to  husband  and  wife, 
and  which  is  unblessed  of  the  presence  of  children. 

Children  bring  care  and  trouble  into  the  home  ;  they 
disturb  its  harmony,  break  up  its  quiet,  scatter  to  the 
winds  many  of  its  carefully-observed  rules.  But  they  bring 
more  than  they  destroy.  To  the  mother  they  bring  a  joy 
and  sereneness  of  bliss  which  cannot  be  described  or 
measured.  There  is  a  depth  and  satisfaction  to  a  father's 
regard  for  his  children  which  no  other  feeling  can  approach. 
It  is  a  mistaken  notion  of  society  that  a  mother's  love  is 
deeper  or  stronger  than  a  father's.  Maternal  love  is  more 
passionate,  but  no  profounder  than  paternal.  It  is  quicker 
to  feel,  but  not  longer  to  endure.  Maternal  and  paternal 
affection  are  not  different  in  kind,  nor  do  they  vary  greatly 
in  degree. 

Aside  from  awakening  deeper  emotions  of  the  soul,  and 
reaching  springs  of  delight  untouched  before,  children  are 


3&4  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

a  blessing  in  more  practical  ways.  They  cement  the  home 
affections.  They  bind  parents  closer  to  domestic  duties, 
social  observances,  moral  obligations,  and  commercial 
endeavors.  Many  a  father  has  been  saved  from  ruin  by 
the  thought  of  his  children.  Many  a  mother  has  been  car- 
ried safely  through  a  temptation  by  the  knowledge  that 
she  had  her  children.  Idleness,  sloth,  indifference  and 
impecuniosity  have  often  been  driven  out  of  the  lives  of 
men  and  women  by  the  responsibilities  of  parentage.  Bad 
men  have  been  made  good,  and  good  men  better  by  their 
children.  Negligent  habits  have  been  abandoned  by  the 
knowledge  that  the  children  might  be  injured  thereby. 
Fortunes  have  been  retrieved  by  the  necessity  of  making 
provision  for  the  children  of  the  home. 

Children  are  the  very  deities  of  the  home.  They  are 
its  life,  its  brightness,  its  inspiration.  In  them  and  around 
them  center  the  fondest  hopes,  the  most  ardent  desires, 
the  most  laudable  ambitions  which  can  animate  human 
hearts.  They  draw  husband  and  wife  nearer  together. 
They  are  potent  factors  in  quelling  discord  and  smothering 
it  unborn  in  the  heart.  They  teach  patience,  forbearance, 
kindness,  sobriety,  diligence,  veracity,  and  all  the  nobler 
virtues  of  human  life  and  character.  They  are  the  con- 
servators of  purity  and  chastity  in  speech  and  behavior. 
They  inspire  the  purest  and  highest  motives,  and  lead  to 
the  wisest  and  most  prudent  actions.  They  are  the  light 
and  joy,  the  happiness  and  bliss,  the  virtue  and  peace,  of 
marital  life.  Without  them  the  home  is  barren,  shorn  of 
half  its  realities. 


SHOULD   OFFSPRING   BE   LIMITED.  365 

Should  Offspring  be  Limited? 

This  question  is  of  vital  importance.  It  involves  the 
counsel  and  will  of  the  Almighty  as  embraced  in  the  edict, 
"  Be  ye  fruitful  and  multiply  " —  an  edict  that  has  not  yet 
lost  its  significance.  It  involves,  on  the  other  hand, 
issues  commensurate  with  the  physical  well-being  of 
humanity.  Instinct  and  propensity  impel  all  nature, 
animate  and  inanimate,  to  cheerful  obedience  to  the 
divine  authority.  The  seeds  and  germs  of  plants  are 
wafted  by  every  breeze,  solely  for  the  propagation  and 
enlargement  of  their  kind.  Trees,  plants  and  flowers  are 
perpetuated  to  an  incalculable  degree  through  the  opera- 
tions of  natural  laws. 

An  impulse,  similar  to  that  in  plants  and  flowers, 
inheres  in  the  constitution  of  human  beings.  Logically, 
it  would  seem  to  follow  that  they  should  obey  it,  and 
propagate  to  the  utmost  of  their  ability.  This  is  a  result, 
however,  which  is  reached  by  a  superficial  view  of  the 
subject.  To  arrive  at  a  full  solution,  the  matter  must  be 
probed  to  its  uttermost  depths,  and  viewed  in  all  its 
aspects  and  phases.  Other  questions  arise  besides  those 
of  the  mere  dissemination  of  life.  The  probable  outlook 
for  healthful  development  must  be  considered  in  connec- 
tion with  the  laws  of  germination.  This  is  true  in  the 
vegetable  kingdom.  It  is  true  that  a  handful  of  seed 
placed  in  incongenial  soil  will  germinate,  spring  up,  and 
grow  after  a  manner.  But  it  is  only  after  a  manner.  If 
the  conditions  essential  to  full  development  be  lacking, 


366  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

the  resultant  plants  will  show  feeble  constitution,  scant 
foliage  and  barrenness.  They  cannot  possibly  reach  that 
state  of  vigorous  growth  in  which  the  prime  object  can  be 
fulfilled.  They  feed  upon  each  other  in  the  germinating 
soil,  and  obstruct  and  oppress  each  other  in  their  expand- 
ing growth. 

What  is  true  in  the  vegetable  kingdom  is  equally  a  law 
in  the  animal.  Every  observing  stock-raiser  is  cognizant 
of  the  evil  effects  of  over-production  among  his  animals. 
There  is  deterioration  in  vigor,  size,  symmetry  and 
every  quality  of  desirable  excellence.  He  knows  that  he 
must  limit  the  production  of  his  flocks  within  healthful 
bounds.  The  possibilities  of  augmentation  are  not  the 
rules  by  which  increase  is  governed.  There  is  no  profit 
in  allowing  every  beast  to  bear  of  its  kind  to  the  utmost 
of  its  capacity  for  so  doing.  On  the  contrary,  such  a 
course  is  suicidal. 

Man  is  an  animal.  He  conforms  to  his  animal  nature 
and  instincts,  to  the  same  laws  and  limitations  which 
obtain  among  the  lower  orders  of  the  kingdom.  Fertility 
and  capacity  do  not  and  should  not  be  the  guides  in  pro- 
creation. He  must  act  with  a  prudent  regard  to  the 
physical  ends  of  his  race.  A  higher  development,  a  pro- 
gression, not  a  degradation,  in  the  quality  of  being  must  be 
kept  in  view.  Not  alone  for  the  immediate,  but  also  for 
the  remote  future.  If  feeble  and  debilitated  children  be 
born,  they  in  turn  will  become  progenitors  of  still  more 
feeble  and  more  degenerate  children.  The  end  is  not  far 
off  after  such  degeneration  has  once  begun.  Even  under 


SHOULD    OFFSPR^TG   BE    LIMITED.  367 

favorable  conditions  the  tendency  is  downward.  It 
requires  care  and  the  exercise  of  right  reason  to  maintain 
the  standard  of  present  development. 

While  man  is  an  animal,  he  is  more  than  an  animal. 
He  is  gifted  with  intelligence,  reason  and  forethought.  To 
his  government  is  committed  the  whole  creation.  It  is  his 
manifest  duty  to  see  that  nature's  laws  and  provisions  with 
regard  to  the  continued  strength  and  soundness  of  the 
vegetable  and  lower  animal  kingdom  shall  be  main- 
tained. 

He  is  gifted  with  intelligence  and  government  for  this 
purpose.  If  this  be  so  as  regards  the  lower  orders  of  crea- 
tion, it  cannot  be  that  he  is  privileged  to  forget  himself 
and  his  kind.  Rather,  there  is  laid  upon  him  a  stronger 
reason  for  the  exercise  of  his  exalted  powers  here.  As 
the  race  of  men  surpasses,  in  the  scale  of  being,  that  of 
brutes  and  plants,  so  should  the  considerations  for  the 
maintenance  of  this  superiority  weigh  upon  him.  And  as 
his  reason  and  experience  tell  him  that  in  plants  and 
among  brutes  there  must  be  bounds  set  to  procreation, 
so  do  they  also  inform  him  of  a  similar  restriction  and 
limitation  of  his  own  kind.  Herein  is  a  generic  reason  for 
the  restraint  which  should  be  placed  upon  the  exercise  of 
the  procreative  functions. 

There  are  other  reasons  worthy  of  consideration  which 
point  to  the  same  conclusion.  They  are  subsidiary  and 
subordinate,  but  important.  If,  after  marriage,  there 
appears  to  develop  in  one  or  both  of  the  parents  some 
transmissible  disease,  it  is  time  to  consider  whether  it  were 


368  MAIDENHOOD   AND'  MOTHERHOOD. 

not  better  that  no  more  children  be  begotten.  The 
disease  in  question  may  not  have  existed  in  the  immediate 
ancestors  of  either  parent,  but  it  does  clearly  manifest 
itself  in  them  and  the  children  they  have  already  begotten. 
Such  children  have  been  weak  and  puny,  or  they  have 
come  into  life  with  the  seeds  of  a  fatal  disease  firmly  and 
ineradicably  imbedded  in  their  systems.  They  have  died 
almost  as  soon  as  they  began  to  live.  Is  it  wise,  is  it  a 
duty,  to  bring  any  more  children  into  the  world  when  it  is 
most  conclusively  apparent  that  they  will  meet  a  similar 
fate?  On  the  contrary,  is  it  not  a  manifest  duty  not  to 
beget  such  children?  Why  are  reason  and  foresight 
given  to  men  if  this  be  not  a  case  for  their  exercise? 

Who  has  not  seen  a  case  like  this  :  A  father  in  whose 
system  is  found  the  well-defined  symptoms  of  that  dread 
complaint,  consumption.  It  is  well  known  to  physicians 
that  venereal  desire  is  keen  in  persons  so  afflicted.  It  was 
so  in  this  case,  and  no  restraint  was  placed  upon  its  grati- 
fication. A  child  was  born.  It  was  weak,  puny,  and 
brought  into  life  with  it  unmistakable  indications  that  its 
existence  would  be  brief.  It,  however,  lived  a  few  months, 
but  never  enjoyed  a  moment's  comfort,  suffering  all  the 
time.  Looking  upon  a  case  like  this,  can  any  one  say 
that  it  was  not  wrong  to  humanity  for  that  father  to  beget 
the  child? 

There  is  reason  for  the  limitation  of  offspring.  There 
are  women  to  whom  gestation  is  simply  torture.  From 
the  time  of  conception,  or  soon  thereafter,  until  delivery, 
they  are  in  almost  unendurable  misery.  There  are  others 


SHOULD    OFFSPRING   BE   LIMITED.  369 

to  whom  child-birth  and  its  precedent  trials  are  almost  cer- 
tain to  prove  fatal.  Such  physiological  conditions  cannot 
be  known  before  marriage,  and,  therefore,  cannot  be  pro- 
vided against  by  a  life  of  celibacy.  To  ask  such  a  woman 
to  undertake  motherhood,  is  simply  to  ask  her  to  essay 
martyrdom.  Is  there  any  law,  any  right  interpretation  of 
duty,  which  will  warrant  asking  the  sacrifice?  Is  there 
any  moral  difference  in  the  act  of  a  married  woman,  who, 
finding  herself  unable  to  bear  children  with  safety  to  her- 
self and  her  children,  refuses  to  sacrifice  herself,  and  that 
of  another  woman  who,  so  far  as  she  knows,  is  well-quali- 
fied for  maternity,  but  who  refuses  to  enter  the  married 
state  because  it  implies  an  assumption  of  the  obligations 
to  become  a  mother?  Despite  the  flippant  paragraphs 
which  float  about  in  the  columns  of  transient  publications, 
there  are  many  women  in  this  country  who  have  refused, 
and  do  refuse,  to  become  wives  for  this  reason  alone. 

It  is  common  in  these  times  to  condemn  intemperance 
in  drink.  This  is  proper  and  right.  Intemperance  or 
undue  indulgence  of  any  appetite  or  appetency,  merits 
condemnation,  both  by  the  law  of  God  and  that  of  reason. 
By  the  same  token,  intemperance  in  procreation  should 
not  be  allowed  to  merit  approval,  as  it  generally  does. 
There  is  such  a  thing  as  intemperance  in  begetting  children. 
It  does  not  always  receive  its  right  name.  In  very  many 
cases  it  is  nothing  more  or  less  than  the  indulgence  of  lust 
under  the  cover  of  marriage.  Marriage  does  not  contem- 
plate nor  warrant  any  such  license.  It  is  for  necessary 
and  righteous  uses,  not  for  the  legalization  of  moral  ini- 
quity. Continence  within  temperate  bounds  is  a  virtue  as 


37O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

binding  upon  the  life  withm  as  that  without  the  married 
relation.  Whenever  and  wherever  incontinence  may  exist, 
it  is  a  moral  crime,  whatever  custom,  law,  or  society  may 
have  to  say  about  it. 

One  of  the  legitimate  tendencies  of  immoderate  indulg- 
ence in  sexual  commerce,  is  the  use  of  criminal  means  to 
prevent  undesired  issue.  The  foulest  blot  on  the  social 
life  of  the  country  is  its  indifference  to  the  alarming  prev- 
alence and  increase  of  the  crime  of  abortion.  Murder, 
under  the  form  of  fceticide,  or  infanticide,  is  so  common, 
so  flagrant,  so  well-known,  and  so  tamely  condemned,  that 
it  is  sapping  the  foundations,  smothering  the  conscience, 
and  destroying  the  health  of  society.  It  is  fashionable  to 
murder  unborn  children.  Conscienceless  men  openly 
advertise  their  services  in  the  secret  and  safe  consumma- 
tion of  this  crime.  Every  device,  decoy  and  deception 
is  employed  to  lead  women  into  the  commission  of  it. 
And  it  is  a  fact  too  patent  to  be  kept  concealed,  that  the 
number  of  women  who  become  victims  to  these  rapacious 
.harpies  is  not  small.  Many  seek  the  abortionist  to  conceal 
.a  previous  crime.  Some,  perhaps,  through  a  false  notion 
«of  economy  ;  their  family  is  already  larger  than  their 
means  warrant,  and  rather  than  see  other  children  come 
into  the  world  to  endure  the  pangs  and  hardships  of  pov- 
erty, they  will  resort  to  this  means  of  prevention.  What- 
ever may  be  the  underlying  motive,  the  fact  remains  that 
fceticide  and  infanticide  are  the  foulest  of  crimes  against 
God  and  humanity,  that  they  prevail  to  an  alarming  extent, 
that  they  are  not  regarded  by  society  with  the  degree  of 


SHOULD    OFFSPRING   BE    LIMITED.  3/1 

horror  which  their  character  demands,  and  that  they  are 
rapidly  on  the  increase. 

The  problem  with  which  we  are  confronted  has  evil  on 
both  sides.  On  one  are  the  injuries  r-esulting  from  exces- 
sive child-bearing ;  on  the  other,  the  criminal  means 
employed  to  prevent  this  evil.  Looking  at  the  matter  in 
this  light,  Dr.  Raciborski,  of  Paris,  took  the  position  that 
the  avoidance  of  offspring  to  a  certain  extent  is  not  only 
legitimate,  but  to  be  recommended  as  a  measure  of  public 
policy.  "  We  know  how  bitterly  we  shall  be  attacked," 
he  says,  "  for  promulgating  this  doctrine,  but  if  our  ser- 
vices only  render  to  society  the  benefit  we  expect  of  them, 
we  shall  have  effaced  from  the  list  of  crimes  the  one  most 
atrocious  without  exception,  that  of  child-murder,  before 
or  after  birth,  and  we  shall  have  poured  a  little  happiness 
into  the  bosom  of  despairing  families  where  poverty  is 
alive  to  the  knowledge  that  offspring  can  be  born  only  to 
prostitution  or  mendacity.  The  realisation  of  such  hopes 
will  console  us  under  the  attacks  upon  our  doctrines. " 

The  ground  upon  which  the  limitation  of  offspring 
has  been  generally  urged  is  that  a  too-numerous  increase 
is  the  effect  of  an  immoderate  sexual  commerce;  such 
excess  is  wrong  in  principle  and  injurious  in  practice, 
therefore,  it  should  be  discouraged.  While  this  ground 
is  undeniably  proper,  it  is  not  the  only  one.  Experience 
has  shown  that  in  many  instances  there  are  other  grounds, 
high  and  philanthropic,  upon  which  such  limitation  can  be 
justifiably  urged.  Parents  love  their  children,  and  center 
in  their  well-being  the  highest  and  holiest  ambitions. 


372  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Their  circumstances  are  moderate,  perhaps,  very  humble. 
The  struggle  of  life  is  a  serious  problem  with  them,  even 
with  the  family  they  may  have  about  them.  Every  addi- 
tional child  tends  to  increase  the  difficulties  of  making 
comfortable  provision  even  for  the  present,  while  the 
future  looms  up  dark  and  lowering.  There  is  certainly 
nothing  to  be  censured  in  the  wish  to  have  a  limit  placed 
upon  the  family  in  such  circumstances.  It  is  prompted 
by  pure  motives  —  by  commendable,  moral  and  economic 
reasons. 

When  the  subject  is  examined  in  all  its  bearings,  and 
the  evils  are  considered  which  result  from  or  are  connected 
with  an  excessive  production  of  offspring,  the  conclusion 
is  forced  that  the  reproductive  functions  of  husband  and 
wife  should  be  under  the  control  of  the  will.  There  is  no 
divine  law,  and  cannot  be  any  human  requirement  founded 
on  justice  and  reason,  which  will  justify  the  appetite  for 
immoderate  sexual  indulgence.  On  the  contrary,  every 
law  of  hygiene  for  both  parents  and  children,  conjoined 
with  the  highest  humanitarian,  philanthropic  and  affec- 
tionate motives,  demands  that  the  sexual  desires  should 
be  held  under  a  strict  obedience  to  reason  and  well-being. 
The  will  should  dominate  here  as  in  every  appetite  of  the 
body.  Urged  on  by  their  basest  passions,  men  have 
been  assiduous  in  seeking  arguments  to  justify  them  in 
giving  loose  rein  to  appetite.  The  teachings  of  divine 
truth  are  distorted  to  give  weight  to  an  inclination  which 
has  no  higher  source  than  a  disinclination  to  self-denial. 

It   is    urged    that  the   counsel   oft-repeated,  that  men 


SHOULD    OFFSPRING   BE    LIMITED.  3/3 

should  "  multiply  and  increase,"  is  a  command  that  cannot 
be  disregarded.  This  is  urged,  not  out  of  intense  respect 
for  the  divine  will,  but  rather  because  it  harmonizes 
exactly  with  the  lustful  passions  which  inflame  them.  The 
injunction  of  the  Divine  Lawgiver  never  should  be  made 
the  grounds  on  which  to  justify  gross  self-indulgence. 
Such  justification  is  a  prostitution  of  the  sacred  word.  It 
is  "  borrowing  the  livery  of  the  court  of  heaven  to  serve 
the  devil  in." 

The  women  who  lived  a  half-century  ago  are  some- 
times pointed  to  as  examples  of  what  women  can  do.  As 
pioneers  in  newly-opened  territory,  these  women  were 
compelled  to  endure  much  labor  and  material  privation. 
Notwithstanding  this,  they  were  the  progenitors  of  large 
families.  It  was  the  almost  invariable  rule  that  every 
little  home  was  filled  with  a  numerous  progeny,  and  yet 
these  women  were  strong,  healthy  and  hardy,  and  the 
children  grew  up  into  fine  specimens  of  physical  manhood 
and  womanhood.  This  (and  much  more  in  the  same  line) 
is  often  cited  to  prove  that  the  women  of  to-day,  with 
their  families  of  two  and  three,  and  surrounded  with  all 
the  comforts  and  conveniences  of  modern  civilization,  are 
derelict  in  their  duty  to  society.  The  claim  set  up  by 
these  women,  that  they  are  incapable  of  bearing  children, 
or  at  least  of  safely  submitting  to  the  labors  of  a  large 
family,  are  thought  to  be  unfounded.  By  every  logical 
consideration,  it  is  said,  they  should  be  able  to  excel  their 
maternal  ancestors. 

In  all  this  it  is  overlooked  that  the  women  of  pioneer 


374  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

life  gave  all  the  vigor,  and  that  their  children  came  into 
the  world  far  inferior  to  their  mothers  in  point  of  actual  or 
reproductive  ability.  An  exhausted  vitality  may  not 
show  itself  in  one  generation  ;  it  inevitably  will  in  the  next. 
Our  women  to-day,  with  their  comparatively  weak  consti- 
tutions and  vitality,  owe  their  state  to  the  folly  of  their 
ancestors.  Had  our  grandmothers  been  less  lavish,  less 
prodigal  of  their  strength,  and  more  prudent  and  moder- 
ate in  exercising  their  procreative  function,  society  had 
been  better  to-day.  That  they  were  not,  is  a  calamity 
that  we  must  face.  It  will  not  help  the  case  that  the 
actual  facts  be  denied.  It  will  be  no  less  a  crime  to  pos- 
terity that  it  be  made  to  suffer  for  our  willful  disregard  of 
the  conditions  under  which  we  exist,  and  our  ignorance 
of  the  consequence  which  our  disobedience  to  the  plainest 
duty  will  certainly  bring. 

Wives  should  claim  from  their  husbands  a  care  and  con- 
sideration equal  at  least  to  that  which  is  given  by  success- 
ful stock-breeders  to  their  herds.  Every  such  stock- 
breeder knows  that  there  is  a  law  which  regulates  the 
production  of  superior  animals,  and  he  unswervingly 
adheres  to  it.  He  knows  that  it  is  destructive  of  his  every 
interest  to  allow  his  animals  to  follow  their  own  blind 
instincts  in  the  reproduction  of  their  kind.  He  controls 
this  with  an  intelligent  consideration  for  the  good  of  his 
increase.  An  essential  consideration  in  this  is  that  the 
number  of  animals  born  by  every  female  must  be  few.  Is 
it  not  manifest  that  an  equal  discrimination  should  be 
shown  by  men  in  the  reproduction  of  their  own  kind  ? 


SHOULD    OFFSPRING   BE   LIMITED.  375 

Can  man,  as  an  animal,  rise  above  the  laws  which  obtain 
among  all  other  animals  ?  Assuredly  not. 

Dr.  Sismondi  says,  that  whenever  it  becomes  unwise 
that  the  family  should  be  further  increased,  justice  and 
humanity  require  that  the  husband  should  impose  upon 
himself  the  same  restraint  which  governs  the  unmarried. 
A  writer  on  this  subject  says  :  "  The  brute  yields  to  his 
generative  impulse  whenever  it  is  experienced.  He  is 
troubled  by  no  compunctions  about  the  mother.  Now,  a 
man  ought  not  to  act  like  a  brute.  He  has  reason  to 
guide  and  control  his  appetites.  They,  however,  forget 
and  act  like  brutes  instead  of  men.  It  would,  in  effect, 
prove,  very  conducive  to  man's  interests  were  the  genera- 
tive impulses  placed  absolutely  under  the  domination  of 
reason,  chastity,  forecast  and  judgment.  " 

The  citation  of  authorities  is  unnecessary  in  so  plain  a 
case  as  this.  The  right,  propriety  and  necessity  of  placing 
a  limit  on  the  family  must  be  conceded.  What  this 
limit  should  be,  it  is  inadvisable  to  say.  It  is  impossible 
to  reduce  it  to  figures  in  any  number  of  cases.  With 
some  women,  it  may  safely  be  said  that  the  capacity  for 
child-bearing  is  without  limit.  With  others,  the  limit  is 
reached  with  the  first  assumption  of  the  maternal  relations. 
No  general  rule  can  be  laid  down.  It  is  enough  that  we 
be  assured  that  it  is  eminently  proper  to  have  a  limit.  A 
knowledge  of  the  wife's  physical  condition,  the  external 
considerations,  and  an  intelligent  regard  to  the  general 
principles  of  health,  comfort  and  the  future,  will  be  suf- 
ficient to  guide  in  each  case. 


376  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

To  What  Extent  Should  Offspring  Be  Limited? 

The  right  and  propriety  of  limiting  the  number  of  chil- 
dren which  shall  compose  the  family  being  conceded,  it 
naturally  gives  rise  to  an  inquiry  concerning  this  limit: 
Where  shall  it  be  placed  ?  When  is  it  reached  ?  Upon  a 
question  like  this  only  general  considerations  can  be  stated. 
No  definite,  specific  rules  can  be  laid  down  which  will 
govern  every  case.  This  is  obvious  at  a  glance.  The 
conditions  which  surround  families  are  radically  different ; 
natural  conditions  of  husbands  and  wives  vary  widely. 
What  would  be  an  eminently  prudent  regulation  in  one 
instance  might  be  little  short  of  cruelty  in  another. 

It.  may  be  set  down  as  a  fundamental  principle,  beyond 
all  controversy,  that  offspring  should  be  limited  to  the 
legitimate  fruitage  of  husband  and  wife.  There  is  a  grow- 
ing tendency  to  override  this  restriction,  and  in  this  tend  - 
ency  is  founded  the  warrant  for  its  restatement  here. 
There  is  no  law  of  moral,  legal  or  social  enactment  which 
gives  any  man  or  any  woman  the  right  to  beget  children 
outside  the  bonds  of  legal  wedlock.  On  the  contrary,  the 
sternest  divine  maledictions,  the  highest  moral  considera- 
tions, the  best  interests  of  society,  and  the  historical 
experience  of  all  times,  unite  in  condemning  all  illegitimacy 
of  procreation.  Law  and  morality  go  further,  and  con- 
demn all  illicit  sexual  intercourse,  even  though  no  issue 
result  therefrom.  It  is  debasing  to  the  morals  and  health 
of  men  and  women.  It  lowers  the  dignity  of  marriage  and 
brutifies  the  intellects  of  those  engaging  in  it.  It  is  repul- 


TO  WHAT  EXTENT  SHOULD  OFFSPRING  BE  LIMITED.        3/7 

sive  to  the  natural  instincts  and  sensibilities.      It  is  abhor- 
rent to  all  that  is  pure,  noble  and  good. 

On  physiological  grounds  there  is  quite  a  large  number 
of  women  who  should  not  become  mothers.  Because  of 
some  deformity  or  malformation  of  their  own  structure,  par- 
turition is  hazardous  —  perhaps  wholly  impossible.  With 
women  who  cannot  become  mothers  without  great  risk  to 
their  own  lives,  and  with  a  probability  that  the  children 
they  may  bear  will  not  be  physically  sound,  there  is  urgent 
need  that  the  number  of  children  they  essay  to  bear  be 
narrowly  limited.  If  the  hazard  be  great  either  to  mother 
or  child,  absolute  cessation  from  child-bearing  is  impera- 
tive. 

There  are  cases,  more  numerous  than  is  generally 
known  outside  the  profession,  where,  in  the  course  of  mar- 
ried life,  one  or  both  of  the  parties  develop  symptoms  of 
insanity.  It  more  frequently  is  an  affliction  of  the  wife. 
It  is  not  necessarily  of  such  aggravated  type  as  warrants 
the  deprivation  of  liberty  or  separation  from  home,  but 
sufficiently  well-defined  as  to  incapacitate  the  wife  for 
either  caring  for  herself  or  her  family.  It  does  not,  how- 
ever, interfere  with  her  ability  to  engage  in  copulation  or 
to  conceive  and  bear  children.  When  such  a  condition  of 
mental  feebleness  exists,  it  is  an  insult  to  decency  and 
morality,  and  a  sin  against  his  own  flesh,  for  the  husband 
to  compel  his  wife  to  submit  to  the  possibility  of  concep- 
tion. 

The  law  of  limitation  applies  in  all  its  strictness  to  that 
class  of  persons,  who,  through  criminal  intercourse  pre- 


378        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

vious  to  marriage,  have  become  inoculated  with  the  virus 
of  that  most  abhorrent  of  all  human  ills,  and  at  the  same 
time,  the  one  most  difficult  of  complete  cure,  venereal 
disease.  When  once  this  class  of  disease  has  fastened 
itself  upon  the  system,  no  means  have  yet  been  discovered 
to  reputable  therapeutics  by  which  it  can  be  entirely  erad- 
icated. A  pure  woman,  who  finds  herself  allied  to  a  man 
who  has  once  been  a  victim  to  this  disease,  no  matter  how 
thoroughly  he  may  have  reformed  his  life,  and  no  matter 
how  great  remorse  he  may  feel  for  his  past  errors,  has  the 
right,  for  the  sake  of  posterity,  if  for  no  other  reason,  to 
insist  that  she  bear  no  children  to  him.  She  may,  with  all 
propriety,  consent  to  live  with  him  as  his  lawful  wife,  but 
she  has  no  right,  civil  or  divine,  to  warrant  her  perpetuat- 
ing a  race  of  poison-tainted  children.  It  is  a  crime  against 
society  for  her  to  do  so.  She  becomes  the  direct  agent  in 
bringing  children  into  the  world  who  will  have  to  bear 
sickness  and  suffering  all  their  lives. 

There  are  many  individuals,  who  suffer  from  diseases 
which  are  transmissible,  who  should  be  restrained  from 
increasing  their  families.  Notable  among  these  diseases  is 
consumption.  The  result  of  consumptive  diathesis,  its 
certain  transmissibility  to  children,  is  as  well  established 
as  the  principle  of  cause  and  effect.  If  children  be  born 
to  such  parents,  they  are  doomed  to  a  weak,  precarious 
existence  while  it  lasts,  and  to  a  premature  grave.  For 
parents  to  deliberately  beget  children,  knowing  that  such 
issue  must  suffer  and  die,  is  to  do  wrong.  They  are  invit- 
ing pain  and  sorrow  to  themselves  unnecessarily,  and  they 


TO  WHAT  EXTENT  SHOULD  OFFSPRING  BE  LIMITED.     379 

are  wronging  the  children.  In  all  such  cases  as  these,  it 
is  manifestly  right  that  a  limit  should  be  set  to  the  exercise 
of  the  procreative  powers. 

There  is  a  class  of  women,  by  no  means  small,  who 
develop  a  remarkable  fecundity.  Cases  are  known  where 
less  than  a  year  elapsed  between  confinements,  and  it  is 
no  uncommon  thing  to  find  women  who  will  bear  children 
at  distances  of  a  year  and  of  eighteen  months.  This  is 
unquestionable  over-production.  It  is  a  form  of  disease, 
perhaps.  If  it  be  not  prevented,  and  the  wife  be  allowed 
to  bear  children  as  rapidly  and  as  frequently  as  she  can, 
womb  diseases  of  most  serious  character  are  soon  devel- 
oped, accompanied  by  that  long  train  of  physical  and 
nervous  ills,  which  preclude  the  possibility  of  health,  and 
which  will  inevitably  cause  death.  In  this  prolific  class 
are  to  be  found  many  women  of  sanguine  temperament, 
feeble  constitution  and  delicate  organization.  If  a  woman 
of  this  kind  be  impelled  to  frequent  child-bearing,  her 
physical  constitution  must  necessarily  become  weaker, 
until  it  succumbs;  whereas,  if  she  have  but  few  children 
and  at  long  intervals  of  rest  between,  she  may  build  up 
her  weak  constitution  into  comparative  robustness.  It 
hardly  requires  the  statement  that  a  case  is  here  found 
wherein  xthe  exercise  of  the  law  of  limitation  of  offspring 
should  be  applied. 

It  is  desirable,  from  every  sound  standpoint,  that  all 
women,  not  physically  disqualified,  bear  children.  It  is 
better  for  them.  It  is  frequently  observed  in  professional 
experience  that  women,  who,  before  marriage,  were  in 


380  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

indifferent  health,  and  continued  so  for  a  time  after  mar- 
riage, have,  on  the  birth  of  two  or  three  children,  become 
vigorous  and  healthy.  Child-bearing  is  a  natural  order.' 
It  is  Nature's  method  of  purging  the  peculiar  organisms  of 
women.  It  is  a  process  which  opens  up  the  sluice-ways 
of  her  physical  functions,  and  enables  them  to  operate  with 
better  effects.  Few  childless  wives  enjoy  perfect  health, 
whether  that  childlessness  come  through  inability  or 
through  direct  prevention  on  their  part.  While  this  is  true, 
it  is  also  true  that  in  a  great  many  cases,  the  most,  in  fact, 
it  is  very  desirable  that  the  size  of  the  family  be  con- 
trolled. Sound  reason,  justice,  philanthropy,  morality 
and  mercy  unite  in  asserting  this. 

Proper  Methods  of  Limiting  Offspring. 

If  the  argument  of  the  preceding  pages  be  accepted  as 
legitimate,  the  conclusion  will  be  admitted,  that  it  is  the 
right  and  duty  of  parents,  in  certain  circumstances,  to 
limit  the  size  of  the  family.  This  conclusion  being 
reached,  the  question  logically  follows:  How  can  this  be 
done?  Are  there  any  known  means  of  coition,  honorable, 
safe  and  morally  right,  by  which  conception  need  not 
follow?  This  is  the  eminently  practical  form  which  the 
investigation  takes. 

It  may  be  proper  to  state  that  the  nature  of  the  matter 
now  to  be  discussed  is  exceedingly  delicate.  It  is  not 
clear  to  all  minds  that  any  one  is  justified  in  scattering 
broadcast  information  on  this  subject.  It  is  argued  that 
the  possession  of  this  knowledge  would  tend  to  licentious- 
ness; that  if  the  youth  of  our  land,  in  whom  passion  is 


PROPER   METHODS   OF   LIMITING   OFFSPRING.        381 

strong,  knew  that  sexual  congress  was  possible  without 
danger  of  discovery  and  disgrace,  illicit  intercourse  would 
become  common. 

This  is  assuming  a  great  deal  more  than  any  known 
facts  warrant.  More  than  that,  it  is  assuming  a  moral 
bluntness  among  our  young  men  and  women  that  is  an 
insult  as  well  as  a  gross  misrepresentation.  It  is  believed 
that  our  young  women  are  virtuous  from  principle,  and  not 
through  fear  of  the  results  of  unlawful  cohabitation.  The 
innate,  ihstinctive  virtue  of  high-souled  chastity  is  itself  a 
restraint  to  every  indulgence  which  the  laws  of  God  and 
man  do  not  sanction.  Take  away  from  woman  everything 
but  her  own  instinctive  sense  of  right,  duty  and  chaste 
purity,  and  she  would  still  be  virtuous. 

There  is  less  danger  in  disseminating  information  on 
this  subject  than  in  withholding  it.  The  vicious  and  vile 
will  be  able  to  take  no  advantage,  while  the  virtuous  and 
pure-souled  may  be  able  to  derive  much  benefit.  From 
the  number  of  cases  instanced  in  a  preceding  chapter,  and 
from  scores  more  that  could  be  named,  it  is  apparent  that 
a  great  deal  of  misery,  suffering  and  premature  death  is 
caused  by  ignorance  of  what  is  duty  in  the  circumstances, 
as  well  as  ignorance  of  the  methods  by  which  one  can  still 
be  morally  righteous  and  escape  these  ills. 

At  the  front  of  all  proper  limitations  of  offspring  stands 
continency,  or  a  cessation  from  sexual  congress  when  the 
probability  of  conception  may  exist.  It  has  been  shown 
that  the  practice  of  continency  between  husband  and  wife 
is  not  inimical  to  the  highest  morality  and  philanthropy, 


382        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

but  is  a  physiological  benefit  to  both.  The  highest  sexual 
virtue  is  that  in  which  the  will  dominates  the  passions 
absolutely,  and  which  enables  one  who  has  felt  the  power 
of  passion  to  control  its  promptings. 

Continence,  in  its  broadest  sense,  includes  not  only 
abstinence  from  sexual  commerce,  but  control  of  the 
thoughts  and  imagination.  Indeed,  in  the  latter  restraint 
is  found  the  key  to  the  former.  Professor  Carpenter,  in  his 
treatise  of  physiology,  says:  "  In  proportion  as  the  human 
being  makes  the  temporary  gratification  of  mere  sexual 
appetite  the  chief  object,  and  overlooks  the  happiness 
arising  from  mental  and  spiritual  communion  —  which  is 
not  only  purer  and  more  permanent,  and  of  which  he 
may  anticipate  a  renewal  in  another  world  —  does  he 
degrade  himself  to  a  level  with  the'  brutes  which  perish." 
Shakespeare  makes  even  lago  say:  "  If  the  balance  of  our 
lives  had  not  one  scale  of  reason  to  poise  another  of 
sensuality,  the  blood  and  baseness  of  our  natures  would 
conduct  us  to  most  preposterous  conclusions ;  but  we 
have  reason  to  cool  our  raging  motions,  our  carnal  stings, 
our  embittered  lusts. " 

We  are  corroborated  by  the  unspoken  appeal  that 
comes  up  everywhere  from  debilitated  and  overtaxed 
women  of  husbands  who  cannot  be  induced  to  practice 
continency.  If  investigation  be  made,  it  will  be  discov- 
ered that  the  excuse  made  by  these  husbands  for  their 
imposition  on  their  wives,  is  that  such  continence  is  not 
in  harmony  with  their  physical  natures.  They  will  per- 
suade their  too-credulous  wives  that  a  refusal  on  their 


PROPER   METHODS   OF    LIMITING   OFFSPRING.        383 

part  to  accede  has  the  tendency  to  alienate  the  wife  from 
her  husband's  regard,  and  the  husband  from  the  wife's — a 
condition  which  a  loving,  trusting  wife  cannot  contemplate 
without  a  feeling  of  dismay,  and  to  avoid  which  she  will 
sacrifice  health  and  even  life  itself.  It  may  be  further 
urged  that  the  refusal  of  the  wife  to  permit  her  husband's 
approaches  is  an  inducement  to  him  to  seek  elsewhere 
what  is  denied  him  at  home,  and  yet  what  his  health  and 
general  well-being  demand.  This,  too,  is  a  consideration 
which  no  loyal,  virtuous  wife  can  contemplate  without 
horror  and  repulsion.  Nothing  wounds  a  sensitive  woman 
more  deeply,  and  nothing  stings  her  more  keenly,  than 
the  thought  that  her  own  husband  is  unfaithful  to  her. 
When  this  thought  becomes  knowledge  it  brings  a  heavi- 
ness of  heart,  a  grief,  a  burden  of  woe  that  is  greater  than 
death. 

And  so,  by  cajoling  and  threatening,  the  affectionate 
wife  is  led  to  make  a  victim  of  herself  to  her  husband's 
lust.  The  husband  may  not  be  a  brute  ;  in  most  cases  he 
is  not.  On  the  contrary,  he  loves  his  wife  even  as  his  own 
life,  and  would  not  willingly  do  her  an  injury  or  injustice. 
He  persuades  himself  that  he  is  right  in  yielding  to  his 
natural  propensities  ;  that  he  has  a  moral  right  to  the  use 
of  his  wife's  person  whenever  he  may  so  desire  ;  that  there 
is  no  law  of  necessity  laid  upon  him  by  which  he  shall  be 
compelled  to  crucify  his  body  ;  that  indulgence  at  will  is  a 
benefit  to  him  and  no  injury  to  his  wife.  He  does  not 
ordinarily  find  it  difficult  to  convince  himself  that  what  he 
wants  to  do  is  the  proper  thing  to  do. 


384  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

It  is  all  a  delusion.  The  laws  of  man's  being  provide 
as  effectually  for  the  healthful  distribution  of  seminal  secre- 
tions when  he  is  married  as  when  he  is  not.  Common 
sense  ought  to  teach  any  reasonable  man  that,  when  he 
must  apply  persuasion  to  induce  his  wife  to  permit  sexual 
commerce,  her  nature  does  not  demand  it;  and  that  she 
yields  only  out  of  deference  to  his  wishes;  also,  that  such 
yielding  must  be  against  the  protests  of  her  unfettered 
wishes.  In  a  word,  that  it  is  submission  on  her  part  to 
what  she  does  not  require  nor  desire.  It  cannot  but  innure 
to  her  hurt.  A  little  calm  reflection  will  also  convince  any 
man  who  is  open  to  conviction  that,  by  every  precept  of 
morality,  self-restraint  is  inculcated.  The  liberty  to  engage 
in  any  action  does  not  give  a  license  to  prostitute  it  to 
immoderation  and  excess.  Experience,  tpo,  has,  or  ought 
to  have,  taught  husbands  that  continence  is  no  real  hardship 
nor  physiological  injury  to  them.  Sometimes  they  have 
been  separated  from  their  wives  for  longer  or  shorter 
periods,  and  they  have  not  found  themselves  seriously 
injured  by  the  enforced  continence. 

The  husband  who  argues  his  wife  into  submission  to 
his  will  does  not  think,  perhaps,  that  he  is  lacking  in  kind- 
ness toward  her,  and  in  that  respect  for  her  person  and 
judgment  to  which  she  is  entitled.  A  husband  ought  to 
treat  his  wife  with  the  same  respect  shown  by  a  lover  to 
the  object  of  his  devotion.  What  would  be  the  feelings 
of  a  virtuous  maiden  toward  her  lover  if  he  should  insist 
that  his  animal  nature,  his  health,  depended  on  her  yield- 
ing herself  to  his  embraces?  Is  not  a  wife  a  woman  with  a 


PROPER    METHODS   OF    LIMITING   OFFSPRING.        385 

woman's  feelings,  and  entitled  to  the  respect  due  her  as  a 
woman?  If  love  do  not  blind  her,  what  must  she  think, 
what  can  she  think,  of  the  man  who  pleads  such  reasons  for 
the  indulgence  of  his  sexual  passions?  In  all  conscience, 
can  not  a  man  practice  continence  as  well  after  as  before 
marriage? 

Incontinence  of  action  is  the  legitimate  sequence  of 
incontinence  of  thought.  Continence  of  action  is  secured 
by  continence  of  thought.  Seminal  secretion  is  largely 
the  result  of  mental  effort.  Keep  the  mind  from  brooding 
upon  sexual  matters.  A  strong  mental  effort  and  outdoor 
exercise  will  drive  sexual  thought  away.  In  addition  to 
keeping  the  mind  free,  attention  should  be  given  to  diet. 
Certain  kinds  of  food,  as  eggs,  oysters,  meats,  and  stimu- 
lants of  ail  kinds,  tend  to  excite  the  mind.  Missionaries 
among  nude  or  half-clad  heathen  tribes  have  often  found 
it  necessary  to  subsist  wholly  upon  vegetable  diet  in  order 
to  keep  their  animal  passions  within  proper  bounds.  The 
same  attention  to  regimen  of  diet  will  be  found  very  help- 
ful in  observing  the  law  of  continence.  But,  after  all,  the 
great  thing  is  the  will.  It  can  and  of  right  ought  to  govern 
the  body. 

Nature,  however,  has  made  some  provisions  against 
overproduction.  With  women,  ordinarily,  conception  is 
impossible  during  the  period  of  lactation.  This  is  an 
encouragement  to  mothers  to  nurse  their  children,  since 
during  this  period  they  are  free  from  the  probability  of 
conception.  But  the  nursing-time  must  not  be  prolonged 
beyond  what  is  best  for  both  mother  and  child,  in  order 
to  extend  this  barren  period. 


386  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Another  natural  provision  for  the  limitation  of  off- 
spring is  periodical  sterility  among  women.  About  one- 
fourth  of  a  woman's  menstrual  life  is  barren.  For  a  period 
of  from  eight  to  fourteen  days  after  the  cessation  of  her 
menses,  she  is  susceptible  of  impregnation  ;  from  that  time 
until  within  from  twenty-four  to  thirty-six  hours  before  her 
next  sickness,  she  is  utterly  sterile.  The  exact  number  of 
days  cannot  be  given  (differing  as  women  do  in  the  opera- 
tion of  menstruation)  in  which  this  sterility  is  absolute,  and 
during  which  copulation  may  be  unattended  by  concep- 
tion. What  has  been  stated  is  the  general  rule,  or  that 
which  obtains  with  the  majority  of  women.  It  is,  indeed, 
contended  by  some  physicians  that  absolute  barrenness 
never  exists  with  a  woman  who  is  capable  of  conception  at 
all.  There  are  certainly  many  exceptional  cases  to  the 
rule,  but  on  the  whole,  it  is  of  sufficient  practical  impor- 
tance to  know  that,  from  the  fourteenth  day  after  the  cessa- 
tion of  one  period  of  menstruation  until  within  three  days 
of  the  next,  sexual  commerce  will  not  result  in  preg- 
nancy. 

The  three  methods  here  suggested,  namely,  continence, 
lactation,  and  periodical  barrenness,  are  natural  limitations 
to  the  production  of  offspring.  Being  provisions  of  Nature 
for  this  specific  purposes  jt  is  entirely  proper  that  advan- 
tage of  them  should  be  taken.  Nature  is  kinder  to  women 
than  they  are  to  themselves  often  —  than  their  husbands 
are  to  them.  Nature  provides  to  a  large  extent  against 
that  overproduction  of  children  which  must  destroy  a 
woman's  vigor  and  health. 


IMPROPER    METHODS    OF    LIMITATION.  387 

4 

Improper    Methods    of    Limitation. 

The  most  important  feature  of  the  inquiry  into  the 
limitation  of  offspring  is  now  before  us.  It  is  one  which 
is  much  agitated  and  discussed  from  both  the  moral  and 
physiological  aspect,  with  wide  variations  of  opinion  and 
conclusion.  The  position  has  been  taken  and  insisted 
upon  in  the  preceding  pages,  that  the  good  of  both  mother 
and  children,  as  well  as  the  interests  of  society,  warrant 
the  use  of  legitimate  means  for  the  abridgement  of  the 
family.  It  was  also  urged,  and  strongly  urged,  that  there 
are  often  cases  in  which  these  legitimate  means  of  limitation 
may  be  used  not  only  with  propriety,  but  where  duty, 
necessity  and  the  highest  morality  insist  that  they  shall  be 
used. 

While  all  this  is  eminently  proper,  it  does  not  debar 
the  strongest  condemnation  of  the  many  vile  and  pernicious 
devices  used  by  married  persons  to  frustrate  the  legitimate 
operations  of  Nature.  The  two  things  are  essentially 
different.  The  one  is  natural  and  right.  The  other  is 
unnatural  and  wrong.  The  one  may  with  all  propriety  be 
advised.  The  other  can  under  no  considerations  be 
allowed. 

The  subject  of  the  use  of  improper  means  for  defeating 
the  ends  of  Nature  is  a  vast  one,  and  few  writers  on  phys- 
iology have  felt  disposed  to  enter  into  an  exhaustive 
discussion  of  it  in  all  its  bearings,  especially  in  its  disastrous 
effects  upon  th'e  souls  and  bodies  of  those  chargeable  with 
the  guilty  practice.  Very  little  reflection  and  a  casual  obser- 
vation are  sufficient  to  convince  any  one  that  while  the 


388  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

t 

amorous  instinct  has  lost  none  of  its  intensity  in  the  pres- 
ent day,  the  results  of  its  legitimate  outcome  are  becom- 
ing more  and  more  pronounced.  Every  physician  can 
testify  that  he  is  constantly  besieged  by  men  and  women 
anxious  to  know  the  best  and  surest  methods  for  prevent- 
ing conception;  many  of  the  inquiries  come  from  persons 
of  high  social  and  moral  standing. 

The  employment  of  other  preventives  of  conception 
than  those  afforded  by  Nature  naturally  suggests  two  lines 
of  inquiry:  Is  it  morally  right?  and,  Is  it  physiologically 
deleterious?  The  discussion  of  the  first  form  of  inquiry, 
Is  it  morally  right  or  wrong  to  resort  to  any  means  to 
thwart  the  natural  operations  of  physiological  laws?  does 
not  properly  come  within  the  compass  of  this  work. 
Questions  purely  of  morals  belong  to  another  category. 
The  physician  as  such  has  no  more  to  do  with  these  than 
any  other  member  of  society.  As  a  member  of  society, 
however,  he  may  very  properly  deplore  practices  which 
appear  to  him  to  be  immoral,  and  which  vitally  concern 
the  interests  of  society.  From  his  more  intimate  associa- 
tion with  the  practices  under  discussion  he  may  be  led  to 
feel  more  deeply  upon  it,  and  to  be  constrained  to  use 
his  endeavors  to  throw  all  possible  light  upon  it,  having 
for  his  object  the  moral  purification  of  society. 

Is  it  right,  morally  right,  for  any  one  to  thus  throw 
barriers  in  the  way  of  Nature  in  the  execution  of  one  of 
her  prime  laws,  especially  when  it  is  manifest  that  upon 
the  proper  observation  of  this  law  depends  not  only  the 
purity  and  chastity  of  the  individuals,  but  the  propagation 


IMPROPER    METHODS    OF    LIMITATION.  389 

of  the  race?  If  it  be  right,  it  is  highly  desirable  that 
society  at  large  should  know  it.  If  it  be  wrong,  there 
is  equal  necessity  of  the  fact  being  generally  known. 
Many  persons  are  constantly  violating  this  law,  and  doing 
so  unconscious  of  the  moralities  of  the  case.  If  they  have 
been  sinning  in  ignorance,  it  is  high  time  that  they  knew 
it,  and  that  they  be  urged  to  an  abandonment  of  the  evil 
practice. 

Any  proper  view  of  the  case  must  lead  to  its  condem- 
nation. Every  improper  attempt  to  frustrate"  the  ultimate 
end  of  coition  is  immoral  in  the  highest  degree  and  sows 
the  seeds  of  domestic  ruin  and  death.  It  is  immoral 
because  it  is  a  deceit ;  and  every  form  of  deception  is 
wrong.  It  is  a  most  palpable  deceit,  because  it  directly 
and  pointedly  interferes  with  the  very  means  established 
in  Nature  for  the  perpetuation  of  the  human  species,  and 
renders  illusory  the  most  important  of  all  fruitions. 
Prof.  Mayer  says:  "There  is  a  certain  motion  which 
should  solicit  a  husband  to  obey  the  law  of  Nature  by 
which  the  race  is  perpetuated  ;  first,  the  attraction  of 
pleasure  ;  second,  the  sentiment  of  paternity.  If  the 
latter  be  wanting,  the  first  will  still  be  efficacious.  But 
if  he  cheat,  and  no  further  security  should  exist,  the  race 
will  run  the  risk  of  becoming  extinct.  Then  this  element, 
so  powerful  in  the  order  of  the  universe,  would  be  aban- 
doned to  the  hazard  of  a  free  will,  and  would  produce  a 
dangerous  conflict  between  the  interest  of  the  individual 

r*t 

and  that  of  the  species. "  Another  respected  author,  in 
speaking  of  the  moral  aspects  of  the  question,  says:  "  It 


39O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

tends  to. annihilate  all  the  physical  and  moral  sympathies, 
the  reciprocal  attachment  so  indispensable  to  a  happy 
marital  union,  and  to  give  rise  in  their  stead  to  coldness, 
indifference  and  disunion." 

Why  should  we  fear  to  go  to  the  bottom  of  the  subject 
and  refuse  to  discover  the  effects  of  this  festering  wound  ? 
Concentrate  the  mind  upon  any  husband  and  wife  who 
habitually  violate  the  sanctity  of  the  conjugal  alliance  and 
profane  chastity  by  their  intimate  acts,  and  answer,  "  Have 
they  any  respect  for  each  other?"  Is  the  husband  not 
losing  his  prestige  of  honor  and  the  Avife  her  purity  of 
heart?  Ere  long  the  changes  in  their  moral  relations  will 
become  apparent  to  their  friends.  Little  by  little  dissatis- 
faction, indifference  and  contempt  will  arise,  closely 
followed  by  bitterness  and  resentment.  These  evil  pas- 
sions, increasing  upon  each  other,  bring  about  those 
scandalous  ruptures,  those  dark  and  dreadful  dramas  of 
adultery,  so  frequent  in  these  days.  This  young  wife, 
but  lately  so  innocent  and  chaste,  who  has  been  polluted 
by  such  immorality,  will  soon  know  the  ingenious  strata- 
gems invented  by  debauchery.  Armed  with  this  danger- 
ous knowledge,  if  in  an  hour  of  weakness  the  seducer 
should  come  into  her  life  and  virtue  should  be  disarmed 
before  his  insidious  arts,  the  fact  that  she  can  with  impunity 
violate  the  conjugal  faith  will  make  her  less  strong  and 
more  liable  to  fall  a  victim.  What,  in  all  honesty,  can 
the  husband  say  of  her  infidelity?  He  it  was  that  taught 
his  innocent  wife  the  art  of  cheating  Nature.  Can  he  justly 
complain  if  she  use  her  knowledge  in  cheating  himself  ? 


IMPROPER    METHODS   OF    LIMITATION.  391 

By  far  the  most  common  of  all  improper  methods 
adopted  for  limiting  the  number  of  offspring  ^is  abortion. 
It  is  undeniably  a  form  of  murder,  and  there  can  be  no 
crime  more  repulsive  to  the  pure  heart  than  this.  Any 
man,  almost,  may,  in  a  fit  of  intense  passion  when  reason 
is  temporarily  dethroned,  lift  up  his  hand  against  another 
and  take  his  life.  Anger  and  passion  have  led  to  fratricide; 
revenge  or  malice,  or  some  other  over-powering  passion, 
have  led  to  the  taking  away  of  the  life  of  an  enemy; 
avarice  has  often  led  its  slaves  into  situations  where  murder 
was  added  to  theft.  In  each  and  all  of  these  cases,  society 
has  stamped  the  offender  with  a  proper  name,  and  the 
law  has  provided  a  penalty  for  his  crime.  But  what  name 
can  be  given  that  will  fully  indicate  the  crime  of  that 
person,  man  or  woman,  who  calmly  and  premeditatedly 
plans  and  executes  the  destruction  of  the  life  of  an  innocent 
and  unoffending  babe?  In  some  cases,  the  child  is  wholly 
unknown  to  the  destroyer  ;  in  others  itf^ay  be  a  relative, 
and  in. more  cases,  perhaps,  it  is  a  part  JS  his  own  body. 
What  shall  this  crime  be  called?  Is  it  murder,  or  is  it,  as 
Austin  says,  a  crime  for  which  there  is  no  name? 

There  are  many  persons  who  through  ignorance,  real 
or  assumed,  maintain  that  a  child  is  not  a  human  being 
until  it  has  assumed  the  form  of  a  human  being,  breathes 
and  develops  all  the  essentials  of  developed  life.  Others 
affirm  that  it  is  not  a  life  until  after  quickening  in  the 
womb.  There  is  little,  if  any  difference.  One  might  with 
equal  propriety  assert  that  the  babe  at  its  mother's  breast 
is  not  a  human  being  because  it  has  not  the  concomitants 


392  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

of  matured  life.  The  truth  in  the  matter,  sweeping  aside 
all  finely-drawn  distinctions,  is  that  from  the  moment  of 
conception  a  new  life  begins  to  exist.  It  is  a  form  of 
life,  different  indeed  from  what  life  is  at  other  periods,  but 
truly  and  essentially  life.  All  that  is  required  now,  as  at 
any  other  period  up  to  maturity,  is  time  and  undisturbed 
repose.  The  one  who  destroys  this  initial  life  is  as  guilty 
of  murder  as  another  who  takes  a  babe  from  its  mother's 
arms  and  destroys  it. 

Let  it  be  called  by  whatever  name  it  may  be,  abortion, 
foeticide,  infanticide,  or  what  not,  the  crime  is  precisely 
the  same  in  quality.  It  is  an  ancient  crime  —  this  of 
destroying  unborn  children.  The  nations  of  antiquity, 
savage  and  semi-civilized,  and  highly  civilized,  all  practiced 
it,  and  many  of  the  philosophies  of  other  ages  sanction 
it.  In  the  present  day,  when  human  understanding 
is  broader,  and  human  nature  is  softer,  the  same  old  crime 
is  tolerated.  It  is  growing  more  fearfully  prevalent  year 
by  year.  The  testimony  of  any  physician  will  corroborate 
this  statement. 

This  nefarious  crime  is  not  confined  to  any  particular 
class  of  society.  It  is  committed  by  the  rich  and  poor 
alike,  the  respectable  and  the  degraded.  Many  women 
have  become  so  accustomed  to  its  perpetration,  that  they 
go  to  a  physician  with  sang  froid  and  self-possession, 
apparently  thinking  that  it  is  a  legitimate  part  of  his  pro- 
fession to  destroy  children  in  titero.  Men,  too,  with  the 
utmost  effrontery  will  solicit  the  advice  and  skill  of  the 
medical  profession  to  aid  them  in  the  cultivated  debauch- 
ery of  murdering  their  own  children.  It  is  to  be  feared 


IMPROPER    METHODS    OF   LIMITATION.  393 

that  too  many  nominal  physicians  lend  their  aid  in  this 
crime.  The  fact  is  undeniable  that  few  of  them  escape 
the  temptation  of  so  acting. 

The  author  may  be  pardoned  for  reciting  a  case  in  point 
from  his  own  experience:  On  entering  my  office  one 
morning,  very  early,  I  was  followed  by  a  gentleman  who 
was  a  total  stranger  to  me.  We  had  hardly  been  seated 
in  private  when  he  said  to  me:  "  Doctor,  I  have  been 
courting  a  fine  young  woman,  the  daughter  of  an  aristo- 
cratic and  highly-respectable  family.  It  is  the  old  story. 
I  over-persuaded  her,  and  she  is  now  in  a  condition  that 
will  soon  bring  disgrace  upon  her  and  her  family.  I  would 
not  for  any  consideration  have  her  condition  exposed. " 
"  What  would  you  have  me  do  ?  "  I  inquired.  "  I  want  you 
to  produce  an  abortion  on  her,  and  I  will  give  you  any- 
thing you  may  ask,"  he  replied  with  no  evidence  of  embar- 
rassment. I  asked  him  a  few  questions  about  the  standing 
of  the  family  of  the  girl,  his  own,  the  regard  in  which  he 
held  her,  how  far  the  pregnancy  had  progressed,  and  then 
said  to  him:  "  How  is  it  that  you  have  come  so  far  from 
your  home  to  consult  a  physician?  Have  you  none  nearer 
to  whom  you  could  go,  even  in  a  case  of  this  sort?  Have 
i  the  reputation  of  being  an  abortionist  in  your  locality?  " 
"  Not  at  all,"  he  replied,  quickly  ;  "  but  I  have  such  a  high 
regard  for  this  girl  that  I  do  not  wish  to  see  her  in  any 
but  safe  hands.  That  was  why  I  came  to  you,  and  for  no 
other. "  As  1  had  led  him  to  say  exactly  what  I  desired 
he  should  say,  I  replied:  "  I  am  glad  to  hear  that  you 
consider  my  knowledge  and  skill  so  highly  as  to  come  the 


394        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

distance  you  have  to  see  me.  It  gives  me  confidence  to 
hope  that  you  will  do  what  I  say  about  this  matter. 
What  I  want  to  say  is  this:  I  have  great  sympathy  for  the 
v/oman  you  have  seduced.  I  will  do  all  I  can  for  her. 
But  abortion  is  not  a  part  of  my  profession.  I  wish  you 
would  go  back  and  tell  the  young  lady  that  the  thing  you 
have  asked  me  to  do  is  exceedingly  dangerous  ;  moreover, 
it  is  a  high  crime.  She  must  not  jeopardize  her  life  nor 
commit  a  great  crime  by  allowing  any  one  to  attempt  such 
a  thing.  Tell  her  from  me  that  there  is  but  one  safe, 
honorable  and  morally  right  way  for  her  out  of  her 
trouble,  and  that  is  to  marry  you."  He  said  nothing  more 
and  departed. 

I  had  some  curiosity  to  know  what  the  end  of  the 
matter  had  been,  but  took  no  pains  to  discover.  Chance 
at  length  revealed  it  to  me.  A  year  or  so  afterward,  I 
was  called  in  consultation  in  the  locality  given  by  my 
morning  caller.  After  my  business  was  finished,  a  gentle- 
man present  asked  me  to  come  home  with  him  and  see  a 
sick  child.  I  went,  and  found  the  mother,  an  exceedingly 
handsome  young  woman,  overwhelmed  with  grief  over  the 
apparently  hopeless  illness  of  her  child.  I  examined  the 
little  patient,  and  was  able  to  apply  remedies  which  saved 
its  life.  Before  I  left,  I  discovered  that  these  were  the 
two  persons  who  but  a  little  before  had  sought  me  out  to 
aid  them  in  destroying  this  very  life,  in  which  they  now 
were  so  deeply  interested,  and  to  which  they  were  so 
warmly  attached. 

This  incident  is  not  related  because  of  its  moment,  nor 


IMPROPER    METHODS    OF   LIMITATION.  395 

* 

to  prove  that  adherence  to  his  duty  on  the  part  of  a  physi- 
cian will  always  result  so  satisfactorily.  It  was  an  excep- 
tional case  in  this  direction.  Usually  the  betrayed  girl  is 
abandoned  by  her  seducer  ;  and  then,  in  an  agony  of  shame 
and  remorse,  she  is  often  led  to  -commit  the  crime  from 
which  this  young  woman  was  saved  by  the  honor  of  her 
lover.  The  incident  will  serve  as  a  basis  on  which  to 
repeat  the  question  :  In  what  did  this  infant's  life  differ 
the  first  and  the  second  times  in  which  its  life  was  in  dan- 
ger? Manifestly,  only  in  point  of  development.  It  was  as 
much  a  living  human  being  in  its  mother's  womb  as  it 
was  in  her  arms.  To  have  taken  its  life  at  one  time  would 
have  been  the  same  as  at  another ;  it  would  have  been 
murder,  nothing  more,  nothing  less. 

A  common  method  by  which  abortion  is  produced  is 
with  an  instrument.  This  is  introduced  through  the 
vagina  into  the  womb.  It  is  then  manipulated  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  destroy  the  delicate  membrane  by  which 
the  fcetus  is  attached  to  the  internal  surface  of  the  womb. 
This  attaching  membrane  not  only  holds  the  foetus  to  its 
place,  .but  is  also  the  channel  by  which  its  life  is  main- 
tained and  its  development  furthered.  When  this  mem- 
brane is  ruptured,  the  life-supply  of  the  fcetus  is  cut  off, 
and  of  course  it  dies.  It  is  then  expelled  from  the  womb 
by  natural  action.  Almost  all  sorts  of  articles  are  used  in 
lieu  of  a  surgical  instrument.  The  profession  hears  of 
goose-quills,  lead-pencils,  umbrella-stays,  knitting-needles, 
etc.  A  case  of  personal  experience  will  serve  to  illustrate 
the  danger  which  attends  the  use  of  instruments  : 


396        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

I  was  once  called  hastily  to  see  a  married  woman.  The 
trouble,  I  was  told,  was  hemorrhage  of  the  womb.  I  found, 
upon  examination,  that  this  hemorrhage  was  excessive 
and  continuous,  and  seriously  threatened  life.  When  I 
told  the  patient  this,  and  confessed  my  inability  to  proceed 
safely  unless  she  told  me  the  cause,  she  confessed  that  she 
had  produced  an  abortion  on  herself,  or  had  attempted  to 
do  so,  using  a  common  lead-pencil  for  the  purpose.  I 
found  that  the  foetus  had  been  severed  from  the  womb, 
but  that  the  womb  had  not  contracted,  and  consequently 
the  foetus  had  not  been  expelled.  The  ruptured  blood- 
vessels had  not  closed  up,  but  were  pouring  out  the  life  of 
the  patient.  It  was  a  serious  case,  and  required  great 
skill  and  patience  in  arresting  the  hemorrhage  and  expel- 
ling the  fcetus. 

On  examination  of  the  fcetus,  which  was  about  three 
months  old,  I  found  that  its  head  had  been  pierced 
through  with  the  sharp  end  of  the  pencil.  The  mouth  of 
the  uterus  was  seriously  injured  by  the  efforts  to  introduce 
the  instrument.  This  injury  resulted  in  an  inflammation 
of  the  womb  which  threatened  the  woman's  life,  despite 
all  remedial  agencies  employed.  What  her  thoughts  and 
emotions  were,  when  for  weeks  her  life  was  suspended 
on  a  hair,  I  do  not  know.  They  could  not  be  expressed. 
She  was  a  woman  of  great  respectability,  a  professing 
Christian,  intelligent  and  even  gifted  in  many  ways.  Yet, 
by  a  rash  act  of  her  own,  which  involved  the  destruction 
of  her  own  child,  she  was  brought  to  the  verge  of  the 
grave,  and  made  to  stand  there  looking  out  upon  the 


IMPROPER   METHODS   OF   LIMITATION.  397 

great  eternity  beyond,  with  its  everlasting  throne,  its 
Great  Judge,  and  all  its  eternal  verities  of  truth,  justice 
and  wrath.  Into  this  eternity  she  was  almost  ushered  by 
her  own  act.  Had  her  life  not  been  saved,  she  must  have 
gone  to  her  account  with  a  double  murder  on  her  soul  — 
her  child's  and  her  own. 

Another  case  with  a  more  tragic  ending  may  be  related 
here:  A  woman  undertook  to  produce  an  abortion  by 
the  use  of  the  brace  of  an  umbrella  rib.  In  the  effort  to 
accomplish  the  purpose  desired,  the  instrument  escaped 
the  hand  of  the  operator  and  was  drawn  within  the  uterus. 
Thence  it  pierced  the  upper  surface,  passed  up  through 
the  bowels,  the  diaphragm,  up  into  the  lungs,  where  its 
progress  was  arrested  by  the  death  of  the  patient.  These 
facts  were  brought  to  light  by  the  post-mortem  examina- 
tion. Instances  similar  to  the  two  here  related  might  be 
multiplied,  all  tending  to  show  the  exceeding  seriousness, 
from  a  mere  physiological  standpoint,  of  such  methods  of 
abortion.  It  will  not  do  to  say  that  these  were  due  to 
the  bungling  of  the  operator.  That  does  not  remove  the 
danger  in  such  operations.  The  most  skillful  surgeons, 
were  any  such  base  enough  to  engage  in  this  disreputable 
work,  might  produce  fatal  results.  It  is  dangerous 
work. 

Another  common  form  of  abortion  is  by  violent  exer- 
cise. Pregnant  women  will  sometimes  jump  from  a  short 
elevation  to  a  hard  surface,  so  as  to  very  considerably  jar 
the  body.  The  object  of  this  is  to  dislodge  the  foetus 
from  the  womb.  Others  will  take  long  journeys  in  a 


398        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

rough  vehicle  over  uneven  roads  for  the  same  purpose. 
If  it  were  not  so  serious  a  matter,  it  would  be  quaintly 
amusing  to  note  that  women  who  undertake  this  mode  of 
producing  an  abortion  think  that  it  is  less  criminal  than 
that  by  the  use  of  an  instrument  or  other  violent  means. 
They  forget  that  the  gravement  of  any  act  depends  upon 
the  intent  and  purpose,  not  upon  the  means  employed  in 
its  accomplishment. 

Drugs  of  various  kinds  and  patent  nostrums  are  largely 
used  in  this  criminal  work.  The  number  of  deaths  which 
are  brought  about  by  the  use  of  this  means  of  producing 
abortion  is  truly  appalling.  All  the  deaths  from  this 
cause  are  not  known,  and  many  are  not  even  suspected. 
A  number  is  known  so  large  that  it  ought  to  deter  women 
from  the  dangerous  risk.  But  it  does  not.  These  medi- 
cines are  all  poisons.  The  effects  intended  to  be  produced 
are  enough  to  warn  against  their  employment.  Many 
serious,  painful  and  incurable  cases  have  arisen  from 
inflammation  of  the  stomach  superinduced  by  the  use  of 
drugs  for  the  end  named.  The  drug  method  is  even 
more  dangerous  than  that  by  instrument. 

The  introduction  of  cold  water  into  the  uterus  by 
means  of  a  syringe,  to  which  is  attached  a  rubber 
catheter,  is  another  method  of  destroying  the  foetus.  This 
is  a  most  successful  method,  but  it  is  usually  attended 
with  severe  pain.  The  water  is  a  foreign  substance,  and 
is  so  treated  by  the  delicate  organism  of  the  internal 
uterus.  The  result  is  severe  uterine  colic  and  such  con- 
tractions of  the  muscles  of  the  womb  as  dislodge  and 
expel  its  contents. 


IMPROPER    METHODS   OF    LIMITATION.  399 

But  whatever  may  be  the  means  used  in  abortion, 
whether  by  one  of  the  methods  named  or  by  some  other, 
the  result  is  always  attended  with  serious  consequences. 
Even  in  accidental  miscarriage,  the  patient  incurs  a  serious 
risk  of  life.  The  same  causes  are  present  in  miscarriage 
as  in  abortion.  There  is  a  sudden  arrest  of  the  natural 
processes  of  development  of  the  foetus.  This  sometimes 
remains  in  the  womb,  a  decaying  mass,  the  most  of  which 
is  absorbed,  carrying  with  it  disease  into  every  tissue  of  the 
body  through  natural  circulation.  This  is  always  a  matter 
of  great  seriousness.  At  other  times,  there  may  follow 
hemorrhages,  as  in  one  of  the  cases  given.  This  may  not 
result  in  immediate  death  to  the  patient.  "But  it  will  exhaust 
the  vitality  and  waste  the  strength,  so  as  to  leave  the  system 
in  exactly  the  right  condition  for  the  inception  of  a  class  of 
nervous  disorders  which  will  trouble  the  patient  throughout 
life. 

A  distinguished  writer  on  this  subject  says:  "  The  won- 
der lies  in  the  fact  that  the  mortality  is  not  greater  than  is 
represented,  and  the  only  reason  that  can  be  assigned  for 
this  is,  that  many  victims  of  malpractice,  foreseeing  the 
danger  which  they  have  willingly,  but  unwisely,  incurred, 
are,  later  on,  attended  by  proper  nurses  and  skilled  phy- 
sicians, who  bring  to  bear  all  the  resources  of  medical 
science  to  avert  the  manifest  fatal  termination.  Even 
under  the  best  treatment,  death  cannot  always  be  pre- 
vented ;  then  it  is,  that  in  order  to  cover  up  a  sin  and 
thwart  a  scandal,  the  art  of  concealment  is  practiced,  and 
the  world  moves  on  as  before." 


4OO  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

The  immediate  mortality  resulting  from  abortion  is 
only  a  small  percentage  of  the  deaths  caused  by  disorders 
which  have  their  primary  origin  from  this  source.  The 
suffering  of  the  women  of  this  day,  caused  either  directly 
or  indirectly  by  the  practice  of  some  of  these  methods,  is 
deplorable. 

There  are  many  other  methods,  extensively  practiced, 
which  are  lesscondemnable  than  those  already  mentioned 
They  cannot  be  commended,  as  they  are  neither  morally 
right  nor  without  detriment  to  health.   But,  comparatively, 
they  are  unobjectionable. 

Vaginal  injection  is  very  common.  This  consists  in 
throwing  water  alone,  or  water  impregnated  with  some 
mild  acid  through  the  vagina  to  the  womb.  This  is  done 
immediately  after  coition.  The  effect  is  to  wash  away  and 
destroy  the  germs  of  foetal  life  and  thus  intercept  concep- 
tion. In  this,  of  course,  there  is  no  destruction  of  life, 
since  life  only  begins  with  conception.  The  practice,  how- 
ever, is  attended  with  many  serious  objections.  It  is 
likely  to  injure  the  wife.  If  she  be  at  all  a  participant  in 
the  coitive  act,  her  reproductive  organs  must  be  in  a 
greater  or  less  condition  of  congestion  and  nervous  excite- 
ment. The  sudden  application  of  a  cold  fluid  to  these 
parts  tends  to  suddenly  change  their  condition.  A  vio- 
lent shock  is  the  inevitable  sequence.  This,  in  time,  can 
but  result  in  serious  detriment  to  the  general  health. 

Another  preventive  of  conception  is  the  use  of  the 
condom,  a  thin  covering  used  by  the  husband.  It  is  made 
of  rubber  or  oiled  silk.  This  device  was  originally  used 


IMPROPER    METHODS   OF   LIMITATION.  401 

by  debauchees  to  prevent  the  infection  of  venereal  diseases.' 
It  is  now  used  for  the  purpose  above  named.  Its  primary 
use  ought  to  condemn  it  among  persons  of  pure  minds  and 
chaste  lives.  It  is  the  progeny  of  the  brothel,  and  should 
never  be  allowed  to  enter  the  home  of  the  virtuous.  A 
great  French  woman  is  reported  to  have  said  :  "  It  is  a 
cobweb  for  protection  and  a  bulwark  against  love.  "  It  is, 
of  course,  an  absolute  preventive  of  conception,  since  it 
prevents  the  semen  with  its  spermatozoa  from  entering  the 
uterus.  There  can  be  no  conception  save  with  a  union  of 
these  two  fluids.  Few  husbands  can  have  the  effrontery 
to  offend  the  delicacy  and  chastity  of  their  wives  by  offer- 
ing the  employment  of  such  means.  It  must  be  offensive 
to  every  sense  of  chastity  in  the  pure  mind  of  the  wife. 

The  use  of  the  hood  is  a  somewhat  modern  device. 
Its  use  was  unknown  to  the  writer  until  quite  recently. 
He  was  called  to  attend  a  patient  suffering  from  a  congestive 
inflammation  of  the  right  ovary.      She  was  too  young  to 
have  passed  the  period  of  mature  womanhood,  though  she 
had    borne    no    children    for    several  years.       In    giving 
directions  for    treatment,   it  was  insisted  that  continence 
be  observed.     To  this  the  reply  was  made  by  the  patient 
that  no  possibility  of  conception  could  exist,   since  she, 
through   a  physician,  had   secured  a  little   rubber  cap  or 
hood.     This  was  carefully  adjusted  to  the  os  uteri  previous 
to  engaging  in  the  coitive  act,  and  was  not  removed  until 
the  next  day.     This  is  certainly  as  effectual  a  preventive  of 
conception  as  the  condom,  and  for  the  same  reason.      But 
the  repeated  use  of  such  a  device,  and  especially  the  reten- 


4O2  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

'tion  of  a  rubber  fabric  in  the  vagina  and  womb  for  thirty- 
six  hours,  must  ultimately  result  in  irritation,  inflammation 
and  ulceration  (and  this,  likely,  of  a  malignant  form)  of 
the  mouth  of  the  uterus.  Such  ulcerating  disease  is 
fraught  with  grave  danger  to  the  general  health  of  the 
patient. 

One  more  method  is  that  known  as  onanism.  It  takes 
its  name  from  Onan,  of  whom  and  his  act  there  is  mention 
made  in  the  Divine  Word.  It  consists,  simply,  in  with- 
drawal previous  to  the  emission  of  the  semen.  Its 
successful  use  depends  upon  the  self-control  of  the  hus- 
band, as  he  must  act  at  the  very  moment  when  it  is  most 
difficult  so  to  do.  It  is  manifest  that  this  withdrawal  is  an 
injustice  to  the  wife,  since  it  robs  her  of  all  participation 
in  the  marital  act.  As  it  was  condemned  in  Onan,  so  it 
must  be  condemned  in  all  his  disciples.  It  is  only  another 
form  of  self-abasement  at  best,  arid  deserves  entire  disap- 
probation. It  will  result  eventually  in  serious  injury  to 
the  health  of  both  husband  and  wife. 

Barrenness. 

Barrenness,  or  sterility  in  women  is  inability  to  bear 
children.  It  is  often  a  cause  for  much  unhappiness  in  the 
home  where  it  exists.  Most  married  persons  are  satisfied 
for  a  time  with  the  blessings  and  happiness  of  this  rela- 
tion. They  are  young,  and  full  of  life  and  health.  But 
the  time  will  come,  sooner  or  later,  when  they  will  not  be 
satisfied.  Unsatisfied  longings  will  dwell  upon  the  soul 
and  fill  the  life  with  uneasiness  and  unrest.  The  feeling  ot 


BARRENNESS.  403 

paternity  and  maternity  lurks  in  the  home  and  at  the  fire- 
side of  every  family,  and  it  cannot  be  stifled.  It  creates  a 
yearning,  a  craving  for  something  \vhich  husband  or  wife 
cannot  give.  If  it  become  apparent  that  for  some 
unknown  cause,  this  yearning  cannot  be  gratified,  it  is 
looked  upon  as  little  less  than  a  calamity. 

Men  who  have  made  the  fertility  of  woman  a  special 
study  have  arrived  at  the  conclusion  that  about  eighteen 
months  ought  to  intervene  between  the  date  of  marriage 
and  the  birth  of  the  first  child,  and  that  the  question  of  the 
wife's  sterility  is  decided  in  the  first  three  years  of  her 
married  life.  If  no  child  be  born  in  that  period,  no 
improper  preventives  of  conception  having  been  em- 
ployed, the  chances  are  largely  against  her  ever  becoming 
a  mother.  If  children  are  ever  desired,  it  is  advisable  to 
consult  the  physician  at  this  time,  so  that  the  cause 
of  the  barrenness  may  be  ascertained,  and,  if  possible, 
removed. 

The  age  of  the  wife  at  marriage  has  an  influence  upon 
the  expectancy  of  children.  The  interval  between  mar- 
riage and  the  birth  of  the  first  child  is  increased  in  pro- 
portion to  the  number  of  years  the  woman  is  past  twenty- 
five  years  of  age  at  the  time  of  marriage.  Trustworthy 
statistics  show  that  women  are  most  fecund  before  the  age 
of  twenty-five.  English  observers  maintain  that  women 
married  under  nineteen  years  of  age  are  not  nearly  so  pro- 
lific as  those  married  between  nineteen  and  twenty-five. 
The  author's  observation  among  American  women  does 
not  bear  out  this  assertion.  It  is  further  maintained  by 


404        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

English  authority  that,  after  the  age  of  twenty-four,  the 
probability  of  barrenness  increases  with  the  greater  age  at 
the  time  of  marriage. 

There  are  two  periods  in  a  woman's  life  in  which  she  is 
said  to  be  absolutely  sterile  ;  one  is  before  she  arrives  at 
puberty,  and  the  other  is  after  she  has  passed  the  men- 
strual period.  Some  exceptions  to  this  general  rule  have 
been  noted,  but  they  are  hardly  credible.  It  is  quite  diffi- 
cult to  see  how  pregnancy  could  take  place  in  a  woman  in 
whom  there  were  no  physiological  conditions  present  to 
favor  her  part  of  the  reproduction. 

The  older  a  woman  may  be  at  the  time  of  marriage, 
the  longer  will  be  deferred  the  age  at  which  she  becomes 
sterile.  It  seems  that  Nature  compensates  her,  in  allowing 
her  to  bear  children  later  in  life  than  if  she  had  com- 
menced earlier.  This  does  not,  of  course,  make  her  child- 
bearing  period  longer  than  the  average  ;  it  is  rather 
shorter.  The  compensation  is  not  quite  complete,  as 
those  who  marry  young  have  a  longer  child-bearing 
period  than  others,  notwithstanding  the  protraction  of  the 
time  with  the  latter. 

As  already  said,  a  wife  who  remains  sterile  for  three  or 
four  years  after  marriage  will  likely  remain  so  through 
life.  The  probabilities  of  sterility  increase  with  each  year 
of  barrenness.  Fruitful  women  have  usually  a  period  of 
less  th^n  two  years  between  the  births  of  their  children. 
Women  who  nurse  their  own  children  have  longer  periods 
of  exemption  from  conception  between  the  births  of  their 
children  than  those  who  do  not.  Lactation  is  conducive 


BARRENNESS.  405 

to  sterility,  as  the  vital  forces  are  wholly  employed  in  the 
mammary  secretion.  Many  women  continue  sterile  so 
long  as  the  child  is  permitted  to  nurse,  which  fact  has 
been  utilized  by  women  averse  to  frequent  births  by 
keeping  the  child  at  the  breast  for  a  long  time. 

Climate  and  latitude  have  their  influence  upon  fertil- 
ity. More  children  are  born  to  a  woman  in  warm  than 
in  cold  countries.  This  is  owing  very  materially  to  the 
longer  periods  between  the  times  of  menstruation.  It  is 
also  said  on  good  authority  that  "  the  number  of  children 
born  is  in  inverse  proportion  to  the  amount  of  food  in  a 
country  and  in  a  season.  In  Belgium  the  higher  the 
price  of  bread,  the  greater  the  number  of  children,  and 
the  greater  the  number  of  infants' deaths."  The  spring 
of  the  year  is  the  most  prolific  season.  This  is  Nature's 
mating  season  and  it  conduces  to  fecundity.  Poverty 
seems  to  promote  fruitfulness.  Poor  people  have  much 
larger  families  as  a  rule  than  their  rich  neighbors. 

But  there  is  a  large  number  of  women  who  are  sterile, 
and  they  continue  so.  The  fault  of  unproduction  is 
invariably  laid  to  their  door.  This  conclusion  may  be 
unwarrantable.  It  is  not  true  that  every  man  who  is 
healthy  and  robust  is  capable  of  begetting  children. 
Sometimes,  too,  women  are  supposed  to  be  sterile  who 
are  not  so.  Such  women  may  have  been  pregnant  and 
not  have  known  it.  If  such  a  woman  has,  at  the  time  of 
her  monthly  sickness,  deferred,  to  be  followed  by  what  to 
her  is  an  excessive  flow  and  waste,  it  may  be  and  in  all 
probability  is  a  miscarriage.  Hence,  a  propensity  to 


406  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

miscarriage  may  be  the  only  cause  of  barrenness.     This, 
by  proper  treatment,  may  be  overcome. 

A  frequent  cause  of  barrenness  and  matrimonial 
unhappiness  is  a  coldness  and  want  of  congeniality  in 
temperament.  On  the  contrary,  with  some  women  noth- 
ing seems  to  be  in  the  way  of  conception  save  too  intense 
passion  and  over-excitement.  Displacements  of  the 
womb  and  attendant  diseases  are  frequently  a  hindrance 
to  fecundity  ;  in  such  cases  the  sterility  disappears  when 
the  cause  is  removed.  There  is,  very  frequently,  a  pecul- 
iar condition  of  the  cervix  of  the  womb  which  hinders,  if 
it  do  not  prevent  conception.  This  is  amenable  to 
treatment.  A  condition  of  general  debility  and  the 
presence  of  poison  in  the  blood  may  prevent  conception. 
When  the  barrenness  is  attributable  to  this  cause,  it  can 
be  removed  by  care  and  tonic  treatment.  It  is  not  an 
uncommon  thing,  however,  to  find  women  who  are  feeble 
in  body  and  health,  and  yet  who  have  a  remarkable  tend- 
ency to  fecundity.  Cases  are  not  wanting,  and  they  are 
not  rare,  where  sterility  was  overcome  by  a  temporary 
separation  of  the  wife  from  her  husband.  The  theory  of 
cure  was  that,  upon  the  renewal  of  their  marital  inter- 
course the  novelty  of  the  act  had  a  stimulating  effect 
upon  the  dormant  procreative  functions  of  the  wife. 

There  is  evidently  a  condition  of  sterility  which  is  the 
result  of  mismating.  The  proof  of  this  is  seen  where  a 
woman  remained  barren  in  a  first  marriage  but  was  fruit- 
ful in  a  second.  This  same  condition  is  observable 
among  the  lower  animals.  Certain  males  and  females 


BARRENNESS.  407 

will  not  produce  offspring  when  mated,  but  do  so  when 
mated  otherwise.  The  ancients  and  some  modern  author- 
ities maintain  that  persons  of  the  same  temperament 
should  not  marry,  as  such  marriage  is  likely  to  be 
unfruitful.  Hence  blonde  women  should  marry  dark 
men,  thin  women  robust  men,  and  vice  versa. 

Though  a  wife  find  herself  unable  to  conceive  for  the 
first  years  of  marriage,  she  should  not  despair.  Barren- 
ness often  disappears  of  itself.  A  notable  example  is  that 
of  Anne  of  Austria,  Queen  of  France,  who  bore  Louis 
XIV. ,  after  a  period  of  twenty  years'  sterility.  Catherine 
de  Medicis,  wife  of  Henry  II.,  became  the  mother  of  ten 
children  after  ten  years'  barrenness.  Dr.  Tilt,  of  London, 
mentions  the  case  of  a  woman  who  was  married  at  eighteen, 
but,  although  both  she  and  her  husband  enjoyed  good 
health,  remained  childless  until  she  reached  the  age  of 
forty- eight,  when  she  bore  one  child.  Another  case  is 
referred  to  where  a  well-developed  woman  was  married  at 
eighteen,  but  did  not  bear  a  child  until  she  was  fifty. 

The  investigations  of  political  economists  have  estab- 
lished the  fact  that  during  times  of  peace  the  ravages  of 
disease  and  death  may  be  counteracted  and  the  population 
maintained  when  only  one-half  the  women  of  the  commun- 
ity are  fulfilling  their  duties  in  procreation.  Nature  has 
also  instituted  laws  to  prevent  an  undue  increase  of  popu- 
lation. It  would  seem  as  if  the  extension  of  the  material, 
intellectual  and  social  culture  of  communities  has  the  tend- 
ency to  render  marriage  less  prolific,  and  the  population 
stationary  or  nearly  so.  So  evident  is  this  tendency  that 


408  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

it  has  been  laid  down  as  a  maxim  of  Sociology  by  Sismondi, 
that  where  the  number  of  marriages  is  proportionally  vhe 
greatest,  where  the  greatest  number  of  persons  participate 
in  the -duties,  the  virtues,  and  the  happiness  of  married 
life,  there  the  number  of  children  which  each  marriage 
produces  is  the  smallest.  Thus,  to  a  certain  degree,  does 
Nature  indorse  the  teachings  of  those  political  economists 
who  say  that  the  increase  of  population  beyond  certain 
limits  is  an  evil  happily  averted  by  wars,  famines  and 
pestilences.  The  direst  disasters  thus  become  national 
blessings. 

Many  causes  of  sterility  appear  to  be  beyond  the  power 
of  the  present  advancement  of  medical  science  to  overcome. 
Many  supposed  cases  of  incurable  sterility,  however,  can 
be  removed  by  proper  medical  treatment.  Just  before, 
at  the  time  of,  and  immediately  after  the  menstrual  epoch, 
is  the  time  most  favorable  to  fecundation.  Those  persons 
anxious  to  have  offspring  can  avail  themselves  of  this  fact. 
Quiet  for  several  hours,  lying  supinely  upon  a  bed,  after 
coition  has  been  helpful  in  the  same  way.  This  was  a 
teaching  of  Hippocrates,  the  great  father  of  medicine. 
There  is  a  marked  sympathy  of  the  mammary  glands  and 
the  uterus  ;  hence,  vigorous  sucking  of  the  breast  before 
the  generative  act  will,  in  many  cases,  insure  conception. 
This  is  especially  the  case  when  barrenness  is  the  result  of 
coldness  on  the  part  of  the  wife. 

The  greatest  hope  of  correcting  sterility  is  in  having  all 
physical  disabilities  removed.  Perfect  physical  health, 
while  not  necessary  to  conception,  is  a  great  help  toward 
securing  it  where  barrenness  exists. 


MATERNITY. 


Pregnancy. 

THE  ovaries  of  woman  contain  numerous  microscopic 
bodies  termed  eggs,  or  ova.  During  her  menstrual  life  — 
that  is,  from  the  age  of  puberty  till  the  cessation  of  the 
menses  —  these  ova  mature,  one  after  another,  and  are 
discharged  from  the  uterus  at  intervals  of  about  four 
weeks.  This  discharge  lasts  from  one  to  four  days,  and  is 
generally  accompanied  by  the  flow  of  a  fluid  closely 
resembling  blood.  The  period  of  ova-expulsion  is  termed 
the  flow  of  the  menses,  or  the  monthly  sickness. 

The  ovum  contains  in  it  the  principle  of  life,  which  is 
capable  of  germination  at  the  proper  time  and  under  the 
proper  conditions.  If  it  come  in  contact  with  the  sperma- 
tozoa, or  vital  element  of  the  semen  of  the  male,  before 
its  discharge  from  the  uterus  and  vagina  of  the  female, 
the  two  will  coalesce  and  together  constitute  the  germ  of 
a  new  being.  This  vitalized  germ  lodges  somewhere  in 
the  sexual  organs  of  the  female,  ordinarily  the  womb,  and 
from  that  time  begins  a  new  and  independent  growth.  If, 
however,  the  ova  of  the  female  do  not  come  in  contact 
with  the  male  spermatozoa  within  a  certain  time,  they  are 
washed  out  of  the  uterus  or  have  no  further  power  of 

vitalization. 

409 


410  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Two  conditions  are  necessary  to  conception:  That 
virile  ova  of  the  female  come  in  contact  with  virile  semen 
of  the  male,  and  that  this  contact  take  place  in  the  female 
organs  of  generation.  When  these  conditions  are  observed, 
a  germ  of  life  exists.  The  germ  is  thereafter  termed  the 
foetus.  The  womb  is  the  natural  receptacle  of  the  foetus, 
and  it  is  usually  developed  there.  This  organ  is  exactly 
adapted  to  the  protection,  the  growth,  and  the  subsequent 
expulsion  of  the  foetus.  It  was  designed  of  Nature  for 
this  end.  Occasionally,  however,  the  vitalized  germ 
lodges  in  the  upper  portions  of  the  genital  canal,  which  is 
the  tube  leading  from  the  ovary  to  the  womb.  Rarely,  it 
is  lodged  in  the  ovary  itself.  Both  of  these  latter  condi- 
tions constitute  what  is  technically  termed  extra-uterine 
pregnancy. 

After  impregnation  a  series  of  remarkable  changes 
take  place  in  the  uterus,  whereby  it  becomes  fitted  for  the 
development  of  the  ovum.  This  development  requires  a 
period  of  forty  weeks,  or,  as  commonly  recognized,  nine 
calendar  months.  The  changes  in  the  uterus  are  accom- 
panied by  other  changes  in  the  woman.  These  changes 
are  observable  and  constitute  the  symptoms  of  pregnancy. 
She  knows  that  she  is  pregnant  by  observing  these  physical 
changes  in  her  being.  There  are  several  of  these  changes, 
or  symptoms  of  pregnancy,  and  they  are  looked  for  by 
married  women  with  considerable  solicitude.  By  them  she 
determines  her  condition,  as  she  should,  and  governs  her 
conduct  according  to  what  they  indicate. 

Perhaps  the  first  thing  that  attracts  a  woman's  atten- 


PREGNANCY.  41 1 

tion,  if  she  be  in  good  health,  is  the  failure  of  the  menses, 
or  the  return  of  her  monthly  sickness.  To  the  woman 
who  has  never  known  such  an  omission,  this  is  set  down 
as  conclusive  evidence  of  pregnancy.  The  symptom  is 
ordinarily  indicative,  but  it  is  by  no  means  an  infallible 
evidence  of  pregnancy.  It  not  infrequently  happens  that 
young  married  women,  even  after  conception,  have  a  slight 
flow  at  the  regular  period,  which  deceives  them  into  con- 
sidering it  the  menstrual  flow.  By  this  deception  they 
are  led  to  -miscalculate  the  time  of  confinement.  On  the 
other  hand,  the  menses  are  sometimes  arrested  after 
marriage,  when  conception  has  not  taken  place.  This 
suspension  is  only  temporary,  and  seems  to  be  the  result 
of  the  profound  impression  made  upon  the  wife's  system 
by  the  new  relation.  It  has  been  said  that  cases  are 
known  where  menstruation  continued  throughout  the 
whole  period  of  gestation.  This  is  incredible,  because  it 
is  at  direct  variance  with  any  reasonable  theory  of  men- 
struation, its  purpose  and  end.  There  is  no  doubt  that  a 
discharge  from  the  uterus  at  regular  periods  has  occurred. 
But  that  is  far  from  proving  that  menstruation  con- 
tinued. The  similarity  of  the  discharge  in  time  and 
appearance  to  regular  menstruation  does  not  constitute  it 
such. 

Following  the  cessation  of  the  menses,  there  is  often, 
and  generally,  a  sickness  at  the  stomach.  It  is  felt  in  the 
morning  after  rising  from  bed.  This  symptom  is  far  from 
uniform.  Some  women  never  are  troubled  with  it  during 
the  whole  period  of  gestation.  Others  are  attacked  with 


412        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

a  violent  nausea  and  retching  for  three  or  four  months 
after  conception.  In  others,  this  sickness  continues  for 
six  months,  and  not  infrequently  during  the  entire  forty 
weeks.  When  this  latter  is  the  case,  the  woman  suffer? 
indescribably,  and  she  is  often  wasted  greatly  physically. 
Sometimes  the  vomiting  is  slight  and  is  followed  by  com- 
parative relief.  With  others  it  is  most  violent  and 
protracted,  even  when  nothing  can  be  expelled  from  the 
stomach. 

Women  who  are  greatly  troubled  with  this  nausea 
during  pregnancy  are  usually  those  who  are  likewise 
affected  with  slight  nausea  during  their  monthly  sick- 
nesses. It  is  caused  by  the  excitement  and  irritation  of 
the  uterus,  with  which  the  stomach  sympathizes.  By 
some  authorities  it  is  called  the  dyspepsia  of  pregnancy. 
There  are  no  good  grounds  for  this  terminology.  Dys- 
pepsia proper  is  a  disease  of  the  stomach,  or  of  some 
organ  immediately  connected  with  the  digestive  processes. 
In  the  nausea  and  vomiting  of  pregnancy  there  is  no  dis- 
ease of  the  stomach  nor  of  any  organ  concerned  with 
digestion.  The  stomach  may  be  in  a  perfectly  normal 
state,  at  least  as  much  so  as  it  was  before  conception. 

An  old  and  common  proverb  affirms  that  a  sick  preg- 
nancy is  a  safe  one,  and  that  the  absence  of  nausea  and 
vomiting  is  a  source  of  danger  to  the  mother  and  child. 
Women  who  habitually  fail  to  experience  these  discom- 
forts are  said  to  be  in  danger  of  miscarriage.  These 
affirmations  cannot  be  taken  unqualifiedly.  They  are  not 
borne  out  by  the  experience  of  many  mothers  and  physi- 


PREGNANCY.  413 

cians.  The  pregnancy-sickness  is  a  purely  sympathetic 
condition,  and  cannot  be  an  absolute  guaranty  of  a  safe 
pregnancy.  When  it  is  extremely  troublesome  it  is  advis- 
able to  have  it  relieved  as  much  as  possible.  Despite  all 
the  exceptions,  the  morning  sickness  may  be  set  down  as 
one  of  the  certain  indications  of  pregnancy.  It  is  found 
in  the  majority  of  cases. 

Another  symptom  of  pregnancy  is  an  excessive  secre- 
tion of  saliva.  This  is  often  very  annoying  to  the  woman, 
sometimes  even  compelling  her  to  forego  the  pleasure  of 
going  into  society  on  account  of  her  inability  to  prevent 
the  accumulation  of  the  saliva  in  her  mouth.  This 
symptom  belongs  to  the  earlier  months  of  gestation,  and 
it  may  become  so  excessive  as  to  affect  the  general  health. 
It  is  closely  allied  to  the  morning  sickness  and  frequently 
accompanies  it.  Both  of  these  affections  bear  directly 
upon  the  digestive  processes,  and  may,  if  they  be  severe, 
so  affect  the  nutrition  as  to  greatly  weaken  the  woman. 
This  should  not  be  allowed.  The  impression  prevails 
among  many  women  that  the  discomforts  of  pregnancy 
are  absolutely  necessary,  and,  therefore,  must  be  borne 
patiently.  This  is  not  the  case  with  many  of  these  affec- 
tions. Excessive  modesty,  too,  often  dissuades  some 
women  from  consulting  their  medical  adviser  during  the 
earlier  months  of  gestation,  thinking  it  something  of 
immodesty  to  betray  their  condition.  Both  these  assump- 
tions are  erroneous.  The  ailments  of  pregnancy  can  be 
very  materially  lessened  by  proper  care  and  treatment ; 
some  of  them  can  be  entirely  removed.  Suffering  that 


414  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

can  be  avoided  is  no  virtue.  It  is  injurious  as  well,  since 
the  woman  needs  to  economize  her  strength,  supporting, 
as  she  does,  two  lives  in  one. 

It  has  been  said  that  vomiting  is  a  usual  accompani- 
ment of  the  morning  sickness.  There  is  often  another 
form  of  vomiting.  It  is  sometimes  quite  excessive,  and  is 
unattended  with  appreciable  nausea.  The  patient  may 
feel  well,  with  a  good  appetite  ;  but  as  soon  as  the  food  is 
on  the  stomach,  it  is  expelled.  This  is  a  symptom  by  no 
means  unusual.  It  is  closely  allied  to  another  symptom, 
indigestion,  which  will  be  treated  immediately. 

Indigestion. 

The  stomach  is  in  intimate  sympathy  with  the  womb. 
In  all  cases  of  pregnancy  there  is  more  or  less  functional 
derangement  of  the  stomach.  The  appetite  may  be  excel- 
lent and  the  relish  for  food  as  good  as  is  common,  but  the 
digestion  is  imperfectly  performed.  The  food  seems  to 
sour  upon  the  stomach,  there  are  eructations  of  gas,  and 
a  sense  of  oppression  or  tightness  follows  which  renders 
the  patient  very  uncomfortable.  The  only  relief  seems  to 
be  by  either  spitting  up  the  food  or  by  vomiting  it  entirely 
from  the  stomach.  Much  difficulty  is  found  in  finding  any 
kind  of  food  that  will  suit  the  irritated  condition  of  the 
stomach.  The  result  of  this  indigestion  and  want  of  food- 
assimilation  is  that  the  patient  wastes  away,  becomes  thin 
and  weak.  The  indigestion  may  and  generally  does  wear 
away,  and  at  the  end  of  the  third  or  at  best  at  the  end  of 
the  fourth  month.  The  patient  will  then  have  no  more 


CONSTIPATION   AND    DIARRHEA.  415 

trouble  in  this  direction  until  the  latter  months  of  gesta- 
tion, when  it  returns.  The  second  period  of  indigestion, 
however,  is  from  a  totally  different  cause.  It  is  not  now 
a  result  of  the  sympathetic  influence  of  the  uterus  upon  the 
stomach,  but  because  of  the  pressure  of  the  uterus  on  the 
lower  border  of  the  stomach.  The  uterus  has  now 
attained  such  dimensions  that  it  occupies  the  greater  part 
of  the  abdominal  cavity.  Whatever  may  be  the  cause  of 
the  indigestion  of  pregnancy,  and  whatever  may  be  its 
discomforts  and  weakening  effects,  it  rarely  results  in  any 
serious  impairment  of  the  stomach  or  other  parts  of 
the  digestive  system,  and  will  entirely  disappear  after 
confinement. 

Constipation  and   Diarrhea. 

By  far  the  greater  number  of  women  during  pregnancy 
are  troubled  either  by  constipation  or  by  its  opposite, 
diarrhea.  Constipation  is  the  more  common.  The  diar- 
rhea, when  it  exists,  is  generally  the  result  of  an  excited 
condition  of  the  nervous  system,  which  manifests  itself 
upon  the  intestines,  where  it  not  only  induces  the  dis- 
charge of  an  extra  amount  of  liquid  into  the  bowels, 
thereby  softening  the  contents,  but  the  peristalic  action, 
which  propels  the  fecal  matter,  is  increased,  producing 
much  the  same  effect  as  a  purgative.  Constipation,  how- 
ever, troubles  the  greater  number  of  women.  It  is  likely 
to  continue  throughout  the  entire  period,  especially  after 
the  third  month.  It  is  partly  due  to  indigestion,  but, 
toward  the  latter  months,  is  more  due  to  the  pressure  of  the 


416  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

womb  upon  the  rectum,  thereby  retarding  the  passage  of 
the  fecal  matter.  Diet  and  proper  exercise  may,  to  a 
great  extent,  overcome  these  disorders.  Sometimes  it  is 
necessary  to  resort  to  treatment.  If  the  constipation  be  a 
result  of  indigestion,  some  assistant  to  the  digestive  func- 
tions will  be  found  beneficial.  If  either  condition  be 
obstinate,  an  astringent  may  be  needed  in  diarrhea  and 
a  laxative  in  constipation.  Drastic  purgatives  should  be 
avoided  lest  they  lead  to  miscarriage.  A  four-grain  dose 
of  aloes  and  myrrh,  if  there  be  no  special  tendency  to 
piles,  will  be  found  of  great  service.  It  is  far  more  desir- 
able, if  possible,  to  overcome  the  sluggishness  of  the 
bowels  by  diet,  and  ordinarily  this  can  be  done. 

Breasts. 

Changes  in  the  contour  of  the  breasts  is  a  good  evi- 
dence of  pregnancy.  They  become  larger  and  firmer  to 
the  touch.  The  veins  beneath  the  skin  are  more  conspicu- 
ous and  of  a  deeper  blue.  Frequently  a  tingling  or 
stinging  senbation  is  experienced.  It  scarcely  amounts  to 
a  pain,  but  the  whole  breast  is  tender  under  pressure,  so 
that  clothing  ordinarily  worn  with  comfort  cannot  now 
be  worn  without  inconvenience.  The  nipples  stand  out 
with  greater  prominence  ;  they  appear  swollen,  and  some- 
times become  painful.  The  peculiar,  rose-colored  circle 
around  the  nipple  enlarges  in  size,  and  gradually  assumes 
a  darker  hue,  and  becomes  covered  with  numberless 
pimple-like  elevations.  Subsequently,  numberless  mottled 
patches  of  whiter  color  scatter  themselves  over  and  around 


ABDOMEN.  417 

the  areola.  The  times  in  the  period  of  pregnancy  in  which 
these  changes  take  place  are  variable.  They  sometimes 
begin  to  develop  themselves  in  a  few  weeks,  but  oftener 
not  until  the  second  and  even  the  third  month.  In 
women  who  are  thin  and  delicate,  they  will  not  appear 
until  toward  the  close  of  pregnancy.  There  are  a  few 
women  who  experience  no  alteration  in  their  breasts  until 
after  confinement ;  with  such  women  the  secretion  of  milk 
is  likely  to  be  delayed  until  several  days  after  the  child  is 
born.  In  some  rare  cases  the  breasts  do  not  undergo  any 
change  whatever.  There  is,  of  course,  no  secretion  of 
milk,  and  the  child  must  be  reared  by  artificial  means. 

Abdomen. 

In  the  first  two  months,  and  even  more,  the  abdomen 
is  less  prominent  than  usual,  and  presents  rather  a  flat 
appearance.  The  navel  is  drawn  and  depressed.  About 
the  third  month  the  size  of  the  abdomen  begins  to  fluctu- 
ate. It  swells  up  to  considerable  size  at  one  time,  and 
then  recedes.  The  wife  is  sometimes  deceived  as  to  her 
real  condition  by  discovering  that  her  abdomen  is  less 
prominent  in  the  fourth  month  ;  thereafter  the  increase  of 
the  abdomen,  both  in  size  and  in  firmness,  is  more  regu- 
lar. The  contour  is  significant,  the  pressure  of  the  foetus 
giving  it  a  pear-like  appearance.  The  navel  now  begins 
to  protrude.  In  dropsies  and  other  tumors  which  pro- 
duce an  enlargement  of  the  abdomen,  the  shape  of  the 
protruding  navel  is  broader  and  smoother,  and  less 
pointed  than  in  pregnancy. 


4l8  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

There  is  an  enlargement  of  a  woman's  abdomen  which 
takes  place  later  in  life  than  the  period  we  are  now  con- 
sidering. It  is  sometimes  mistaken  for  pregnancy.  A 
case  in  illustration  may  be  given.  It  was  that  of  a 
woman  upon  whom  an  operation  had  been  performed  for 
polypus  of  the  uterus.  This  had  given  her  much  trouble 
on  account  of  profuse  wasting  during  her  menses.  Soon 
after  the  removal  of  the  polypus  her  menstrual  period 
ceased,  and  the  abdomen  began  to  enlarge.  Being 
always  sterile  and  greatly  desiring  issue,  she  was  over- 
joyed at  the  thought  that  she  had  now  become 
pregnant  as  a  result  of  the  surgical  operation.  She  was 
very  much  saddened  when  told  that  this  enlargement  of 
the  abdomen  was  only  the  result  of  a  deposit  of  adipose 
matter  which  not  infrequently  takes  place  when  the  gener- 
ative period  is  passed.  It  was  only  the  evidence  of  the 
approach  of  the  winter  of  life,  which  destroys  with  its 
icy  hand  all  the  germs  of  reproduction. 

Quickening. 

Quickening  is  a  very  conclusive  evidence  of  pregnancy. 
It  usually  occurs  at  about  the  middle  of  the  term  of  gesta- 
tion, that  is,  at  the  end  of  the  eighteenth  week.  The 
time  of  the  quickening  varies  with  different  women. 
Some  maintain  that  they  can  discern  movements  of  the 
foetus  as  early  as  the  end  of  the  third  month,  while  others 
feel  no  sensation  of  the  infant  life  until  the  sixth  month. 
Some  women  never  feel  any  movements  whatever,  and 
others  not  until  the  last  month  of  pregnancy.  The  reason 


QUICKENING.  419 

of  this  wide  variation  cannot  be  satisfactorily  given.  It 
has  been  suggested  that  a  foetus  that  does  not  indicate  its 
presence  by  movements  is  purely  indolent.  Perhaps 
some  of  the  many  people  daily  met  who  seem  scarce  ener- 
getic enough  to  keep  out  of  common  danger,  were  of  this 
sort  in  their  mother's  wombs.  Because  the  mother  is  not 
conscious  of  movement  in  the  foetus,  is  not  conclusive 
evidence  that  it  is  motionless.  There  may  be  a  lack  of 
sensitiveness  in  the  walls  of  the  womb. 

On  the  other  hand,  a  woman  may  be  deceived  and 
think  she  feels  the  movement  of  the  child,  when  the  actual 
sensation  is  caused  by  a  flatulency  of  the  bowels,  or  drop- 
sical effusion,  or  some  other  wholly  different  cause.  A 
case  came  under  the  author's  notice  not  long  since. 
A  woman  who  was  the  mother  of  four  children  had  a 
sudden  cessation  of  her  menses.  An  enlargement  of  the 
abdomen  followed,  and  the  woman  was  convinced  that 
she  was  pregnant.  In  a  little  time  longer,  at  the  proper 
time  after  the  cessation  of  the  menses,  she  says  she  dis- 
tinctly experienced  the  movements  of  the  foetus.  At  the 
end  of  the  sixth  month,  she  was  taken  with  a  return  of 
her  monthly  sickness.  I  was  sent  for,  and  found  that 
though  the  menstrual  flow  was  excessive,  there  was  no 
evidence  of  miscarriage.  It  lasted  a  little  longer  than  was 
usual  with  her,  but  ceased  and  she  felt  entirely  well.  At 
the  end  of  four  weeks  she  menstruated  again  and  regularly 
thereafter  until  she  really  became  pregnant.  The  case 
was  somewhat  singular,  both  in  its  progress  and  in  its  end. 
The  woman  was  not  hysterical  in  the  slightest  degree. 


42O  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

The  historian  Hume  says  that  Queen  Mary,  in  her 
intense  desire  to  have  issue,  so  confidently  asserted  that 
she  felt  the  movement  of  the  foetus  that  public  proclama- 
tion was  made  of  the  condition  of  the  queen.  Dispatches 
were  sent  to  foreign  courts.  National  rejoicing  was  had. 
The  sex  of  the  child  was  predetermined  to  be  male. 
Bonner,  the  Bishop  of  London,  made  public  prayers,  in 
which  he  said  that  Heaven  would  pledge  to  make  the  boy 
beautiful  and  witty.  Subsequent  events  proved,  however, 
that  these  "  quickenings"  of  Queen  Mary  were  attributable 
to  ill-health  and  incipient  dropsy. 

Sounds  of  Foetal   Heart. 

The  sounds  of  the  fcetal  heart  may  be  heard  first 
during  the  fifth  month.  They  average  about  one  hundred 
and  thirty  per  minute.  The  sounds  are  very  feeble  at  first 
but  may  be  heard  quite  distinctly  during  the  last  three 
months.  In  some  women  when  the  abdominal  walls  are 
thick  and  heavy  these  sounds  cannot  be  heard  at  all. 
This  symptom  is  of  no  practical  advantage-  to  either  the 
wife  or  her  husband  ;  as  no  one  but  a  physician  with  a 
proper  instrument  can  discern  them  with  any  satisfactory 
definiteness. 

General  Appearance. 

The  alterations  in  the  color  of  the  skin  are  quite  com- 
mon. It  is  a  symptom  of  considerable  value  and  worthy 
of  note.  Delicate  women  of  fair  skin  grow  darker. 
Darker  may  grow  fairer.  The  skin  is  frequently  mottled 


HEART-BURN.  421 

over  with  copper-colored  spots,  or  yellowish  blotches. 
These  are  usually  well  defined  on  the  face  and  neck,  or 
those  parts  of  the  body  exposed  to  the  air  and  sun.  A 
dark  ring  encircles  the  eyes,  and  if  there  be  any  moles  on 
the  body,  they  increase  in  size  and  deepen  in  color. 
Oft  times  the  skin  becomes  loose  and  wrinkled,  giving  the 
young  and  beautiful  wife  the  appearance  of  an  old,  hag 
gard,  care-worn  woman.  In  some  instances,  a  consider- 
able growth  of  hair  will  develop  on  those  parts  of  the  face 
which  in  men  are  covered  with  beard.  The  whole  appear 
ance  may  be  altered.  Women  who  ordinarily  perspire 
readily  and  freely  now  have  a  dry,  rough  skin,  while  those 
whose  skin  is  naturally  dry  and  rough,  perspire  exces- 
sively and  emit  an  odor  that  is  sometimes  quite  offensive. 
Sometimes  affections  of  the  cuticle  that  have  been  trouble- 
some for  years  will  disappear  and  not  return. 

Heart-burn. 

Of  the  minor  symptoms  of  pregnancy,  heart-burn  is  a 
very  common  and  annoying  one.  It  is  the  result  of  indi- 
gestion. This  promotes  a  sour  stomach,  giving  rise  to 
that  peculiar  pain  erroneously  called  heart-burn.  It  can 
ordinarily  be  relieved  by  swallowing  some  antacid  sub- 
stance, as  lime-water,  bicarbonate  of  soda,  or  magnesia. 
On  the  contrary,  an  acid  sometimes  seems  to  give  the 
speediest  relief,  as  lemon-juice,  citric  acid,  or  even  cider 
vinegar. 


422  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 


Vitiated  Appetite. 

A  depraved  appetite  is  another  of  the  common  symp- 
toms. At  the  same  time,  it  is  one  of  considerable 
importance  and  reliability.  If  a  married  woman  feel  an 
inordinate  desire  to  eat  something  which  is  not  an  article 
of  food  at  all,  as  chalk,  slate-pencils,  charcoal,  she  may  con- 
clude, without  much  reasonable  doubt,  that  she  is  enceinte. 
There  frequently  exists  a  voracious  appetite.  The  woman 
eats  enormously,  for  her,  and  still  is  always  hungry.  This 
craving  will  sometimes  compel  her  to  get  up  at  midnight 
to  eat.  She  may  desire  only  certain  kinds  of  food,  or, 
perhaps,  drink.  If  she  refuse  to  satisfy  this  craving  for 
particular  kinds  of  food,  the  thought  of  it  will  haunt  her 
day  and  night.  That  particular  kind  of  food  is  always 
before  her  mind  and  in  her  thoughts.  The  unsatisfied 
craving  may  show  itself,  as  in  birth-marks  upon  the  child. 
It  is  advisable,  therefore,  as  far  as  may  be  without  injury, 
to  satisfy  all  such  cravings. 

Toothache. 

Some  women  are  greatly  troubled  with  achings  of  the 
teeth  during  gestation.  It  is  painfully  annoying  at  times. 
The  pain  often  only  appears  to  be  in  the  teeth,  while  in 
reality  it  is  in  the  jaws  or  some  adjacent  nerve.  This  has 
been  proven  by  some  women,  who  have  had  all  their 
teeth  extracted  without  relief  from  the  pain.  Extracting 
teeth  at  this  period  should  not  be  done,  if  it  be  possible  to 
avoid  it.  It  may  result  in  miscarriage.  Stimulating  lini- 


AFFECTIONS   OF   THE   MIND.  423 

ments  or  poultices  can  be  applied  to  the  jaws  with  good 
results.  The  pain  will  cease  suddenly  after  a  time  without 
any  treatment. 

Affections  of  the  Mind. 

It  is  not  unusual  for  the  mind  to  be  strangely  affected, 
sometimes  to  the  extent  that  the  husband  and  friends 
become  seriously  concerned.  The  whole  intellectual 
nature  seems  changed.  The  wife  is  more  impressible. 
She  is  no  longer  the  pleasant,  confiding,  gentle,  light- 
hearted  woman,  but  becomes  soured,  complaining,  bitter, 
passionate  and  jealous,  making  her  husband  and  dearest 
friends  the  special  objects  of  her  attacks.  There  some- 
times appears  an  opposite  effect  in  differently-tempered 
women.  Fretfulness  and  ill-temper,  which  is  the  normal 
condition,  give  place  to  sweetness  and  patience  and  good- 
humor.  In  the  latter  case,  the  family  are  not  likely  to 
look  upon  pregnancy  as  an  unmixed  evil. 

Nervous   Affection. 

Other  affections  of  the  nervous  system  are  sometimes 
developed  of  a  hysterical  nature.  The  wife  will  have 
depressing  forebodings  of  impending  evil  ;  she  feels  that 
some  great  calamity  is  about  to  befall  herself  or  some  of 
her  family.  At  other  times,  she  is  incredulous  of  her  own 
condition.  She  will  often  invent  the  most  ingenious  argu- 
ments to  convince  herself  and  others  that  all  her  peculiar 
symptoms  are  attributable  to  any  cause  but  pregnancy. 
A  peculiar  kind  of  insanity  is  sometimes  developed,  and  it 


424  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

may  become  so  serious  as  to  require  some  sort  of  restraint 
put  upon  the  wife's  actions. 

The  symptoms  of  pregnancy  which  have  been  noted 
are  only  those  which  are  most  valuable  to  the  unprofes- 
sional reader.  There  are  other  symptoms  which  the 
physician  notes,  but  they  are  only  cognizable  by  him  and 
valuable  to  him.  All  the  common  symptoms  have  been 
given. 

Duration  of  Pregnancy. 

In  his  text-book  on  Physiology,  Prof.  Foster  says: 
"  In  spite  of  the  increasing  distention  of  its  cavity,  the 
uterus  remains  quiescent,  as  far  as  any  marked  muscular 
contractions  are  concerned,  until  a  certain  time  has  run. 
In  the  human  subject  the  period  of  gestation  generally 
lasts  from  two  hundred  and  seventy-five  to  two  hundred 
and  eighty  days,  that  is,  about  forty  weeks.  The  general 
custom  is  to  expect  parturition  in  about  two  hundred  and 
eighty  days  from  the  last  menstruation.  Seeing  that  in 
many  cases  it  is  uncertain  whether  the  ovum,  which 
develops  into  the  embryo,  left  the  ovary  at  the  menstrua- 
tion preceding  or  succeeding  coition,  or,  as  some  have 
urged,  independent  of  menstruation  by  reason  of  coition 
itself,  an  exact  determination  of  the  duration  of  the  time 
of  pregnancy  is  impossible." 

In  concord  with  the  opinion  of  this  well-established 
authority,  it  will  appear  that  the  exact  duration  of  preg- 
nancy cannot  be  determined.  It  can  be  approximated 
sufficiently  to  meet  all  ordinary  demands.  There  have 


DURATION   OF   PREGNANCY.  425 

been,  however,  instances  where  the  happiness  of  families, 
the  rights  of  individuals  and  the  interests  of  nations 
depended  upon  this  very  point.  These  instances  may 
recur.  Ordinarily,  as  said,  a  difference  of  a  few  days 
makes  no  practical  difference,  and  were  it  not  for  these 
extraordinary  cases  the  subject,  probably,  never  would 
have  claimed  the  profound  attention  of  physicians,  philos- 
ophers and  legislators. 

As  is  usual  in  cases  of  this  sort,  there  are  extremists. 
On  the  one  side  are  those  who  contend  that  the  laws  of 
Nature -are  fixed  and  unalterable,  and  that  the  period  of 
gestation  is  invariable.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are 
those  who  assert  with  equal  confidence  that  the  time  of 
confinement  may  be  accelerated  or  retarded  in  various 
ways  and  by  various  instrumentalities.  There  unques- 
tionably is  abundant  evidence  to  prove  that  parturition 
can  be  prolonged  beyond  the  established  two  hundred  and 
eighty  days.  Nor  can  it  be  denied  that  the  foetus  will 
live,  though  the  time  be  shortened  very  much  from  this 
standard.  Now,  the  truth  is  that  not  only  pregnancy  but 
almost  every  other  function  of  the  physical  life  is  subject 
to  variations,  both  as  to  the  period  of  approach  and  to 
that  of  its  duration. 

It  has  been  shown  elsewhere  in  this  work  that  the 
epoch  of  puberty  varies  greatly  both  in  the  time  of  its 
development  and  its  duration,  and  that  this  change  in  life, 
in  the  regards  named,  is  conditioned,  to  a  considerable 
degree,  on  the  temperament  and  social  habits  of  the  indi- 
vidual. It  is  well-authenticated  that  the  length  of  the 


426  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

time  of 'gestation  varies  among  the  lower  animals.  The 
period  of  the  cow,  for  example,  is  the  same  as  that  of  the 
woman,  yet  there  are  instances  where  the  calving  was 
deferred  thirty  or  forty  days. 

Dr.  Napheys  has  collected  some  interesting  cases  of 
protracted  gestation,  which  may  be  reproduced  here  as 
illustrating  the  point  in  hand.  He  says  :  "  As  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  great  interest  sometimes  attached  to  the  inquiry 
under  discussion,  we  may  cite  the  celebrated  Gardner 
peerage  case,  tried  by  the  House  of  Lords  in  1825.  Allen 
Legge  Gardner  petitioned  to  have  his  name  inscribed  as  a 
peer  of  the  realm  on  the  roll  of  Parliament.  He  was  the 
son  of  Lord  Gardner  by  his  second  wife.  There  was 
another  claimant  for  the  peerage,  however  —  Henry 
Fenton  Ladis  —  on  the  ground,  as  alleged,  that  he  was 
the  son  of  Lord  Gardner  by  his  first  and  subsequently 
divorced  wife.  Medical  and  moral  evidence  was  adduced 
to  establish  that  he  was  an  illegitimate  child.  Lady 
Gardner  parted  from  her  husband  on  January  20,  1802,  he 
going  to  the  West  Indies,  and  not  again  seeing  his  wife 
until  the  nth  of  July  following.  The  child  whose  legiti- 
macy was  called  in  question  was  born  on  December  8  of 
that  year.  The  plain  medical  inquiry  was  whether  this 
child,  born  either  three  hundred  and  eleven  days  after 
intercourse  (from  January  30  to  December  8),  or  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  days  (from  July  1 1  to  December  8),  could  be 
the  son  of  Lord  Gardner.  As  there  was  no  pretense  that 
there  was  a  premature  birth,  the  child  having  been  well- 
developed,  the  conception  must  have  dated  from  January 


DURATION   OF   PREGNANCY.  427 

30.  The  medical  question  was  therefore  narrowed  down  to 
this:  Was  the  alleged  protracted  pregnancy  (three  hundred 
and  eleven  days)  consistent  with  experience  ?  Sixteen  of 
the  principal  obstetric  practitioners  of  Great  Britain  were 
examined  on  this  point.  Eleven  concurred  in  the  opinion 
that  natural  pregnancy  might  be  deferred  to  a  period 
which  would  cover  the  birth  of  the  alleged  illegitimate 
child.  Because,  however,  of  the  moral  evidence  alone, 
which  proved  the  adulterous  intercourse  of  Lady  Gardner 
with  a  Mr.  Ladis,  the  House  decided  that  the  title  should 
descend  to  the  son  of  the  second  wife." 

There  is  on  record  one  fact,  well  observed,  which 
establishes  beyond  doubt  the  possibility  of  the  protraction 
of  pregnancy  beyond  the  two  hundred  and  eighty  days. 
The  case  is  reported  by  the  learned  Dr.  Desormeaux,  of 
Paris,  and  occurred  under  his  own  notice  in  the  Hospital 
de  Maternite  of  that  city.  A  woman,  the  mother  of  three 
children,  became  insane.  Her  physician  thought  that  a 
new  pregnancy  might  re-establish  her  intellectual  faculties. 
Her  husband  consented  to  enter  on  the  register  of  the 
hospital  each  visit  he  was  allowed  to  make  her,  which  took 
place  only  every  three  months.  So  soon  as  evidence  of 
pregnancy  showed  itself,  the  visits  were  discontinued. 
The  woman  was  confined  two  hundred  and  ninety  days 
after  conception. 

The  late  distinguished  Prof.  Charles  D.  Meigs,  of 
Philadelphia,  published  a  case  (in  which  he  deemed  that 
entire  confidence  could  be  placed)  of  the  prolongation  of 
pregnancy  to  four  hundred  and  twenty  days,  or  sixty 


428        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

weeks.  Dr.  Atlee  published  two  cases  which  nearly 
equalled  three  hundred  and  six  days  each.  Prof. 
Simpson,  of  Edinburgh,  records,  as  having  occurred 
in  his  own  practice,  cases  in  which  the  period  reached 
three  hundred  and  nineteen  days.  In  The  Dublin 
Quarterly  Journal  of  Medical  Science  a  case  of  protracted 
pregnancy  is  related  by  Dr.  Joynt.  The  evidence  is 
positive  that  the  minimum  duration  must  have  been  three 
hundred  and  seventeen  days,  or  about  six  weeks  more 
than  the  average.  Dr.  Elsasser  found,  in  one  hundred 
and  sixty  cases  of  pregnancy,  eleven  protracted  to  periods 
varying  from  three  hundred  to  three  hundred  and  eighteen 
days. 

What  May  be  Known  of  the  Child   Before  Birth. 

The  opinions  of  writers  on  this  subject  vary  greatly. 
Some  affirm  that  much  can  be  known  of  the  sex  and  other 
physiological  conditions,  while  others,  with  equal  firmness, 
say  that  absolutely  nothing  can  be  foretold  on  these 
points.  Notwithstanding  these  differences  of  opinion,  it 
is  now  pretty  conclusively  established,  by  the  most  reliable 
scientific  tests,  that  males  or  females  can  be  produced  at 
will.  The  establishment  of  this  fact  and  its  practical 
observation  would  be  very  valuable  in  some  families,  and 
for  a  community  at  large.  The  inequality  in  numbers  of 
the  sexes  could  be  prevented  to  a  great  degree.  But  its 
especial  value  would  be  in  those  families  where  there  is  a 
preponderance  of  one  sex  with  a  strong  desire  for  the 
other.  It  is  almost  universal  with  husbands  and  wives 


WHAT   MAY   BE   KNOWN   OF   THE   CHILD,    ETC.      429 

that  they  desire  to  have  the  family  divided  between  boys 
and  girls.  It  certainly  is  better  that  it  should  be  so.  It 
makes  a  happier  home,  a  more  equally-balanced  house- 
hold. 

M.  Thury,  professor  in  the  Academy  at  Geneva,  in 
Switzerland,  has  shown  how  the  sexes  can  be  produced  at 
will.  Scientists  had  observed  that  queen  bees  lay  female 
eggs  first  and  male  eggs  afterwards.  The  same  was 
observed  to  be  the  case  with  the  domestic  hen  ;  the  first 
eggs  laid  invariably  gave  female  chicks,  the  last  laid  males. 
It  was  observed  that  mares  given  early  in  their  periods 
bore  fillies,  while  those  brought  in  later  bore  horse  colts. 
Taking  these  established  facts,  Prof.  Thury  laid  down  a 
general  law  for  stock-breeders  ;  if  females  be  desired,  give 
the  dam  at  the  first  signs  of  heat  ;  if  males  be  wanted, 
give  her  toward  the  end.  This  law  was  adopted,  and  the 
result  of  its  test  was  made  known  through  the  President 
of  the  Swiss  Agricultural  Society.  An  extract  from  this 
report  is  given  below  : 

"  In  the  first  place,  on  twenty-two  successive  occa- 
sions, I  desired  jto  have  heifers.  My  cows  were  of  the 
Schurtz  breed  and  my  bull  a  pure  Durham.  I  succeeded 
in  these  cases.  Having  bought  a  pure  Durham  cow,  it 
was  very  important  for  me  to  have  a  new  bull  to  super- 
sede the  one  I  had  bought  at  great  expense  without  leav- 
ing to  chance  the  production  of  a  male.  So  I  followed 
according  to  the  prescription  of  Prof.  Thury,  and  the  suc- 
cess has  proved  once  more  the  truth  of  the  law.  I  have 
obtained  from  my  Durham  six  more  bulls  (Schurtz-Dur- 


43O        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

ham  cross),  for  field  work  ;  and  having  chosen  cows  of  the 
same  color  and  height,  I  obtained  perfect  matches  of 
oxen.  In  short,  I  have  made  in  all,  twenty-nine  experi- 
ments, and  in  every  one  I  succeeded  in  the  production  of 
what  I  was  looking  for  —  male  and  female.  I  had  not 
one  single  failure.  All  the  experiments  have  been  made 
by  myself  without  another  person's  intervention  ;  conse- 
quently I  do  declare  that  I  consider  as  real  and  certainly 
perfect  the  method  of  Prof.  Thury.  " 

Dr.  Napheys,  in  referring  to  this  subject,  relates  a  num- 
ber of  cases,  gathered  from  well-authenticated  sources,  all 
tending  to  verify  the  principle  laid  down.  The  Medical 
and  Surgical  Reporter y  of  Philadelphia,  gives  the  result  of 
similar  experiments  with  animals.  A  like  conclusion  was 
reached  in  every  case.  This  law  has  been  tried,  according 
to  statistical  reports,  upon  the  human  family  with  like 
results.  Dr.  F.  J.  W.  Packman,  of  Winborne,  has  stated 
in  The  Lancet  that,  in  the  human  female,  conception  in 
the  first  half  of  the  period  between-  the  menses  produces 
female  offspring  ;  if  it  take  place  in  the  latter  half,  the 
offspring  will  be  a  male.  When  a  woman  has  gone 
beyond  the  time  of  her  expected  confinement,  the  child 
will  generally  be  a  boy. 

In  The  Medical  and  Surgical  Reporter,  of  Philadelphia, 
a  respectable  physician  writes  that,  in  numerous  instances 
that  have  come  under  his  own  observation,  Prof.  Thury 's 
theory  has  proven  correct.  Whenever  sexual  connection 
has  been  had  in  from  two  to  six  days  after  the  cessation  of 
the  menses,  girls  have  been  born  ;  and  whenever  it  took 


WHAT   MAY   BE   KNOWN   OF   THE    CHILD,    ETC.     431 

place  at  from  nine  to  twelve  days  after  the  menstrual 
period,  boys  were  the  result.  "  In  every  case,"  he  says, 
"  I  have  ascertained  not  only  the  date  at  which  the  mother 
placed  conception,  but  also  the  time  when  the  menses 
ceased,  the  date  of  the  first  and  subsequent  intercourse 
for  a  month  or  more  after  the  cessation  of  the  menses, 
etc." 

Another  physician  writes  to  the  same  journal  the  result 
of  his  experiences  and  observations,  verifying  the  fore- 
going. A  farmer  in  Louisiana,  writing  in  the  Turf,  Field 
and  Farm,  adds  his  testimony  in  support  of  the  Thury 
law:  "  I  have  already  been  able,  in  many  cases,  to  guess 
with  certainty  the  sex  of  a  future  infant.  More  than  thirty 
times,  among  my  friends,  I  have  predicted  the  sex  of  a 
child  before  its  birth,  and  the  event  proved  nearly  every 
time  that  I  was  correct." 

So  much  for  the  testimony  of  those  who  have  made  the 
operations  of  the  law  a  matter  of  study.  The  author  can 
say  from  his  own  observations,  that  in  each  of  a  dozen  or 
more  instances  of  which  he  was  cognizant,  where  there 
existed  a  desire  to  have  no  issue,  and  the  exercise  of  the 
marital  act  was  deferred  until  it  was  supposed  the  condition 
of  conception  was  past,  but  where  such  was  not  the  case 
and  conception  followed,  the  child  born  was  a  boy.  Put- 
ting all  this  accumulation  of  testimony  together,  and  much 
more  of  the  same  kind  that  could  be  gathered,  it  appears 
that  by  careful  observation  the  sex  of  the  unborn  child 
can  be  told  with  certainty.  More,  it  can  be  said  with  some 
degree  of  confidence  that  parents  can,  by  carefully  observ- 


432  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

ing  the  conditions  of  sex  as  indicated  before,  have  offspring 
of  the  sex  desired.  There  will,  of  course,  be  exceptions  to 
the  law,  as  there  are  in  all  laws,  but  the  general  truths  are 
so  well  authenticated  that  it  can  safely  be  set  down  as  the 
law  of  sex  among  animals,  and  a  law  whose  provisions 
extend  to  the  race  of  man. 

Twins,  Triplets,  Etc. 

As  a  general  rule,  women  bear  but  one  child  at  a  time. 
To  this  rule  there  are  many  exceptions.  It  is  no  uncom- 
mon thing  to  meet  twins  and  occasionally  triplets.  Such 
prolific  production  at  a  single  birth  is  the  result  of  an  over- 
exertion  of  Nature,  and,  as  it  is  to  be  expected,  such 
extraordinary  production  in  number  is  attended  with  a 
corresponding  degree  of  feebleness,  both  mental  and  phys- 
ical, in  the  product.  This  fact  has  been  established  con- 
clusively. A  careful  examination  has  demonstrated  that 
of  imbeciles  and  idiots  a  much  greater  ratio  is  found  among 
twins  than  of  those  born  singly.  The  same  source  has 
established  the  physical  inferiority  of  twins  as  compared 
with  single-birth  children.  Among  the  relatives  of  imbe- 
ciles and  idiots,  twin-bearing  is  quite  common.  Dr. 
Napheys  says  that  "  in  fact  the  whole  history  of  twin  births 
is  of  an  exceptional  character,  indicating  imperfect  develop- 
ment and  feeble  organization  in  the  product,  and  leading 
us  to  regard  twins  in  the  human  species  as  a  departure 
from  physiological  law,  and,  therefore,  injurious  to  all  con- 
cerned. Monsters  born  without  brains  have  rarely  occurred 
except  among  twins."  From  these  considerations,  it  is 


TWINS,    TRIPLETS,    ETC.  433 

fortunate  that  so  small  a  proportion  of  the  children  born 
are  twins.  The  twins  form  only  a  little  over  one  per  cent, 
of  the  entire  number  of  children  born. 

But  little  is  known  of  the  causes  which  lead  to  this 
abnormal  child-birth.  Science  as  yet  has  failed  to  give  any 
satisfactory  solution  of  the  fact,  and  contents  itself  with 
calling  it  a  "  freak  of  Nature."  But  as  Nature  does  nothing 
by  accident,  there  must  be  a  combination  of  forces  by 
which  this  departure  from  the  general  rule  is  brought 
about.  The  cause  of  the  dual  birth  is  by  some  thought  to 
be  due  to  the  father,  by  others  to  the  mother.  Facts 
prove  that  it  may  be  due  to  either.  Observation  favors  a 
hereditary  predisposition  to  this  form  of  prolific  child- 
bearing.  It  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  some  families.  This  may 
be  seen  in  the  fact  that  a  woman  who  has  had  twins  by  one 
husband,  has  also  had  twins  by  another,  and  even  by  a 
third.  Cases  of  the  kind  are  on  record.  The  husbands, 
having  been  previously  married,  had  never  known  but  a 
single  birth  with  their  former  wives.  The  same  evidence 
of  family  trait  has  also  been  noted  in  the  case  of  men  who, 
no  matter  how  many  different  wives  they  may  have,  always 
have  twin  births.  A  case  in  point  is  that  of  the  country- 
man who  was  presented  to  the  Empress  of  Russia  in  1755. 
He  had  been  twice  married.  With  the  first  wife  he  had 
fifty-seven  children  in  twenty-one  confinements.  The 
second  wife  had  thirty-three  children  in  thirteen  confine- 
ments. At  no  confinement  of  either  wife  was  there  born 
less  than  two  children. 


434  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Second   Pregnancies. 

A  question  of  some  importance  in  this  connection  is: 
Can  a  woman  who  is  pregnant  conceive  and  develop  a 
second  child  at  the  same  time  ?  This  phenomenon  is  not 
uncommon  among  the  lower  animals.  Among  dogs,  for 
example,  it  has  often  been  known  that  the  mother  has 
bred  pups  of  entirely  different  breeds  at  one  litter,  prov- 
ing that  one  conception  may  follow  another  and  both 
develop  into  maturity.  The  same  has  been  observed 
among  swine.  Mares  have  been  known  to  bear  twins  of 
which  one  was  a  horse  and  the  other  a  mule.  In  the 
human  family,  cases  are  on  record  where  a  woman  has 
borne  twins,  one  white  and  the  other  a  negro,  the  result 
of  coition  on  the  same  day  with  two  men  of  different  race. 
Dr.  Henry  relates  a  case  which  happened  in  Brazil,  in 
which  a  Creole  woman  gave  birth  to  triplets  of  three  dis- 
tinct races,  one  white,  one  black  and  the  other  brown,  and 
in  each  child  there  was  the  distinguishing  characteristics 
of  its  race. 

In  all  these  instances,  the  evidence  is  that  conceptions 
followed  each  other  very  rapidly,  that  the  offspring  were 
developed  synchronously  and  born  at  the  same  time. 
But  there  are  examples  on  record  of  second  and  concurrent 
pregnancies  in  which  several  months  intervened  between 
the  dates  of  delivery,  each  child  having  all  the  evidences  of 
a  foetus  at  full  term.  Mary  Anne  Bigand,  at  the  age  of 
thirty-seven,  on  April  30,  1848,  gave  birth  to  a  living  boy 
.it  full  term,  and  on  September  16  following  was  delivered 


SECOND    PREGNANCIES.  '  435 

of  a  living  girl,  which  had  the  perfect  development  of  a 
child  at  full  term  of  gestation.  This  case  is  authenticated 
by  the  testimony  of  Professors  Eisenman  and  Periche, 
surgeon-majors  of  the  military  hospital  of  Strasburg.  It 
will  be  seen  that  an  interval  of  four  and  a  half  mouths 
occurred  between  these  two  deliveries.  The  first  child 
lived  two  and  a  half  months,  the  second  a  year.  The 
death  of  the  mother  occurred  soon  after.  An  examination 
showed  that  she  had  but  one  womb  instead  of  two,  as  had 
been  supposed,  so  that  these  two  children  had  been 
developed  at  the  same  time  in  one  womb. 

Benoit  Franquet,  of  Lyons,  relates  a  case  that  came 
under  his  own  observation.  On  January  20,  1870,  he 
delivered  a  woman  of  a  child,  and  in  five  months  and  six 
days  afterward  he  delivered  the  same  woman  of  a  second 
child.  In  both  cases  the  children  were  fully  developed, 
and  bore  the  evidence  of  birth  at  full  term.  This  case  is 
well-authenticated,  having  been  presented  to  two  notaries 
at  Lyons,  MM.  Caillot  and  Desurgey,  with  the  certificates 
of  their  baptisms,  that  the  singular  case  might  be  placed 
upon  record  for  the  benefit  of  the  medical  and  legal 
professions. 

These,  with  similar  cases  that  might  be  cited,  leave  no 
room  for  doubt  that  an  interval  of  several  months  may 
elapse  between  the  births  of  children  that  have  been  devel- 
oped in  the  womb  at  the  same  time.  The  question 
remaining  to  be  settled  is  :  Were  these  children  twins  ? 
Were  they  conceived  at  the  same  time  and  the  growth  of 
one  so  retarded  that  it  required  the  longer  time  for  its 


436        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

maturing  ?  Or  did  a  second  conception  take  place  at  an 
interval  of  several  months  after  the  first  ?  If  it  be  granted 
that  a  second  pregnancy  can  occur,  then  the  second  child 
of  Mary  Anne  Bigand  must  have  been  conceived  after  the 
quickening  of  the  first  child.  This  must  lead  to  the 
admission  that  two  children  of  different  ages,  begotten  by 
different  fathers,  may  exist  in  the  womb  at  the  same  time. 
The  question  is  much  complicated.  The  truth  seems  to 
be  that  though  we  have  the  preponderance  of  evidence, 
that,  in  very  rare  instances,  a  second  conception  may  take 
place  during  pregnancy,  yet  such  a  theory  is  at  variance 
with  the  whole  economy  of  the  reproductive  process  and 
irreconcilable  with  reason.  It  would  require  much  fuller 
evidence  than  is  now  attainable  to  firmly  establish  the 
hypothesis.  It  is  more  consistent  with  our  present  infor- 
mation of  the  laws  of  reproduction  to  assume  that  both 
children  were  conceived  at  or  about  the  same  time,  and 
that  for  some  unknown  cause,  the  development  of  the 
second  child  was  retarded. 

It  is  no  uncommon  occurrence  in  the  case  of  twins  to 
find  one  child  strong,  vigorous  and  well-matured,  while 
the  other  shows  all  the  indications  of  a  child  prematurely 
born.  A  few  years  ago  a  physician  was  called  in  a  case 
of  confinement.  He  delivered  the  woman  of  a  healthy 
child,  apparently  well-developed.  He  left  the  house  with 
the  feeling  that  everything  was  doing  well  and  no  trouble 
could  arise.  A  week  later  he  was  called  to  see  the  same 
woman  and  delivered  her  of  a  second  child,  not  fully 
developed  and  still-born.  There  was  every  indication  of 


SECOND    PREGNANCIES.  437 

several  months'  difference  in  the  ages  of  the  children  born 
so  near  each  other,  but  this  was  not  sufficient  grounds  for 
assuming  anything  but  that  they  were  conceived  at  the 
same  time.  It  sometimes  happens  in  the  case  of  twins 
that  one  may  be  born  from  one  to  two  months  prematurely 
and  the  other  carried  to  the  full  term.  This  is  much  more 
easily  accounted  for  than  where  the  first  birth  is  mature 
and  the  second  apparently  immature.  The  only  explana- 
tion that  seems  to  satisfy  some  minds  in  cases  of  the  sort 
is  that  the  conception  of  the  second  child  was  subsequent 
to  that  of  the  first  by  almost  the  difference  of  months. 
To  support  this  hypothesis,  some  very  singular  and 
really  wonderful  cases  have  been  adduced. 

There  are  instances  upon  record  in  which  the  second 
conception  attached  itself  to  the  first,  thus  presenting  the 
phenomenon  of  the  growth  of  a  child  within  a  child.  A 
Geneva  journal  records  a  case  in  point:  A  correspondent 
of  The  Dantzic  Gazette,  says  that  on  Sunday,  Febru- 
ary i,  1869,  at  Schiliewen,  near  Dirschan,  a  "  young  and 
blooming"  shepherd's  wife  was  delivered  of  a  girl  otherwise 
sound,  but  having  on  the  "  lower  part  of  her  back,  between 
her  hips,  a  swelling  as  big  as  two  good-sized  fists,  through 
the  walls  of  which  a  well-developed  foetus  may  be  felt. 
Its  limbs  indicate  a  growth  of  from  five  to  six  months,  and 
its  movements  are  lively.  The  father  called  in  the 
Health  Commissioner,  Dr.  Preuss,  from  Dirschan,  and 
begged  him  to  remove  the  swelling,  together  with  the 
foetus.  The  doctor,  however,  after  a  careful  examination, 
declared  that  there  was  a  possibility,  in  this  extraordinary 


438  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

case,  of  the  child  within  the  swelling  coming  to  maturity. 
Its  existence  and  palpable  motions  were  apparent  to  all 
present.  No  physician  could  be  justified  in  destroying 
this  marvelous  being.  It  ought  rather  to  be  protected 
and  cherished.  The  new-born  girl,  notwithstanding  her 
singular  burden,  is  of  unusual  strength  and  beauty,  and 
takes  the  breast  very  cheerfully." 

Some  further  information  in  regard  to  this  singular 
phenomenon  is  reported  in  The  Weser  Zeitung,  of  Feb- 
ruary 20,  1869.  It  quotes  from  The  Dantzic  Gazette 
some  remarks  that  were  made  by  the  Health  Commis- 
sioner, Dr.  Preuss,  of  Dirschan,  in  which  he  reaffirms  the 
facts  given  in  the  preceding  report.  He  said  he  was  sum- 
moned on  the  first  of  February  to  the  child,  and  saw  the 
vigorous  movements  and  felt  the  members  of  the  fcetus 
within  the  swelling  as  described.  "  It  was  evidently  a 
double  creation.  The  case  thus  far,  though  rare,  is  not 
the  only  one.  But  what  is  unusual  and  hitherto  unknown 
in  medical  literature  is  the  fact  that  the  girl,  which  has 
been  carried  the  full  term  of  gestation,  is  alive  to-day,  but 
the  foetus  within  the  swelling  has  also,  in  the  eleventh  day 
after  birth,  further  developed  and  palpably  increased  in 
size.  The  swelling  is  now  four  and  one-half  inches  long, 
three  and  one-half  inches  wide,  high  and  pear-shaped. 
The  head  lies  underneath  on  the  left,  the  body  toward  the 
right." 

This  is  the  latest  information  with  regard  to  this  remark- 
able case  to  be  had.  It  has  been  reported  that  the  child, 
or  children,  were  taken  by  special  request  before  the  Nat- 


MORAL   ASPECT   OF   THE   SUBJECT.  439 

ural  History  Society  of  Dantzic,  and  the  mother  had  gone 
to  Berlin  for  medical  counsel.  It  would  be  very  interest- 
ing to  have  the  sequel  to  this  case,  but,  unfortunately,  it 
is  not  to  be  had  at  present.  It  certainly  is  the  most 
remarkable  on  record. 

Moral  Aspect  of  the  Subject. 

This  question  of  dual  conception  has  a  moral  and  eco- 
nomical aspect  on  which  may  depend  the  peace  and 
comfort  of  a  family.  On  its  issue  may  depend  the  honor 
and  chastity  of  a  wife,  both  with  reference  to  her  husband 
and  to  the  community.  She  may  have  conceived  by  her 
husband,  and  he,  after  that  event,  may  have  lived  in  abso- 
lute continence.  Perhaps  he  may  be  absent  from  home 
during  the  entire  period  of  gestation.  If  the  wife  then  be 
delivered  of  children  at  an  interval  of  say  two  or  three 
months,  the  question  whether  these  children  were  the 
product  of  one  conception  or  of  two,  becomes  one  of 
grave  moment.  It  involves  the  wife's  fidelity  —  if  the 
theory  advocated  by  some  medical  authorities  be  true, 
that  a  conception  may  take  place  two  or  three  months 
subsequent  to  the  first.  If  it  be  granted  that  such  an 
after-conception  can  take  place,  the  instances  in  which  it 
has  been  done  are  so  very  rare,  that  it  weakens  the  belief 
in  its  possibility  at  all. 

Since  it  is  only  an  assumption,  after  all,  it  is  far  better 
for  the  peace  of  a  family  and  for  the  well-being  of  a  com- 
munity to  adhere  to  the  most  favorable  theory,  namely, 
that  these  conceptions  took  place  simultaneously,  and 


440  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

that,  for  lack  of  nourishment  or  for  some  other  reason, 
the  development  of  the  one  foetus  was  delayed.  It  is  open- 
ing a  way  for  unjust  accusations  of  a  faithful  wife,  and 
involves  matters  of  relationship  and  heirship  that  are 
perplexing. 

What  May  Be  Known  of  the  Sex. 

Can  sex  of  the  child  be  foretold  ?  There  are  always 
to  be  found  gossipy  old  women  who  aver  that  they  are 
able  to  tell  precisely  what  the  issue  will  be.  When  asked 
by  what  means  that  can  be  determined,  they  will  reply 
that  they  know  by  the  shape  of  the  mother's  abdomen. 
It  must  be  confessed  that  some  of  the  guesses  made  on 
this  basis  have  proved  correct.  Notwithstanding,  it  is 
certain  that  there  is  no  trustworthy  evidence  that  the  sex 
of  the  foetus  has  anything  to  do  with  its  position  in  the 
pileus.  All  guesses  on  this  basis  are  mere  conjecture, 
nothing  more.  Wives,  too,  sometimes  think  they  can 
determine  the  sex  by  the  nature  of  the  movement  of  the 
foetus.  They  affirm  that  boys  are  much  more  active  and 
stronger  than  girls.  In  this  mode  of  pre-determination, 
it  rarely  turns  out  as  the  mother  has  said. 

But  there  is  a  way  by  which  the  wife  can  determine 
the  sex  of  her  child  with  considerable  certainty.  It  is  by 
observing  the  time  in  her  menstrual  month  in  which  the 
conception  took  place.  It  has  been  explained  on  another 
page  in  this  work  that  if  the  conception  take  place  imme- 
diately before  or  soon  after  the  menses,  the  issue  will  be 
a  girl.  If,  toward  the  end  of  the  fruitful  period,  it  will  be 


WHAT   MAY    BE   KNOWN    OF   THE   SEX.  441 

a  boy.  In  general,  the  rule  is,  conception  before  the 
menstrual  flow  produces  a  boy  ;  after,  a  girl.  This  is 
the  mother's  way  of  determining  the  sex  of  her  unborn 
child,  and  it  is  reasonably  trustworthy. 

Some  physicians  who  are  well-skilled  in  the  use  of  the 
stethoscope,  and  possessed  of  sufficient  keenness  of  ear  to 
distinguish  a  difference  in  faint  sounds,  can  determine  the 
sex  of  the  child  in  the  later  months  of  pregnancy.  It  is 
by  noting  the  pulsations  of  the  foetal  heart.  The  average 
number  of  pulsations  in  the  heart  of  the  female  foetus  is 
one  hundred  and  forty-one,  while  that  of  males  is  only 
one  hundred  and  fourteen.  There  is  sufficient  difference 
to  allow  a  detection,  though  it  requires  careful  observa- 
tion. If  the  pulsations  exceed  one  hundred  and  thirty, 
the  child  will  certainly  be  a  girl  ;  if  under  that  number,  it 
will  be  a  boy. 

By  this  same  method,  also,  the  presence  of  twins  in 
the  womb  can  be  determined  with  absolute  accuracy. 
When  the  physician,  with  the  aid  of  the  stethoscope,  is 
able  to  detect  the  pulsations  of  two  hearts,  one  on  either 
side  of  the  abdomen,  the  evidence  of  the  existence  of  two 
children  is  conclusive.  Except  to  the  mother  who  care- 
fully notes  the  time  of  conception,  and  to  the  expert 
physician  in  the  later  months  of  gestation,  nothing  can  be 
determined  with  any  reliability  concerning  the  sex  of  the 
child  before  birth.  But  the  methods  here  stated  can  be 
adopted  with  considerable  confidence. 


442  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 


Hygiene  of  Pregnancy. 

A  woman  in  reasonably  good  health  and  living  in 
harmony  with  the  ordinary  laws  of  hygiene  requires  little 
change  in  her  conduct  during  pregnancy.  If  she  have  a 
vigorous,  healthful  life,  prospective  maternity  need  give 
rise  to  no  gloomy  forebodings.  The  ordeal  is  certainly  a 
trying  one,  but  it  contains  none  of  those  terrors  and 
impossible  feats  of  physical  endurance  with  which  the 
expansive  fancy  of  some  gossipy  house-wives  delight  to 
clothe  it.  If  it  be  a  first  child,  it  is  advisable  that  the 
wife  disabuse  her  mind  as  far  as  possible  of  all  the  suffer- 
ings and  dangers  which  she  must  encounter.  This  will  be 
no  easy  task.  The  difficulty  is  greatly  enhanced, 
especially  in  rural  neighborhoods,  by  the  propensity  of 
other  women  to  talk  to  such  wives  about  the  future. 

These  gossipy  matrons,  good  but  unwise,  seem  to  take 
special  delight  in  dwelling  upon  the  horrors  of  confine- 
ment, labors  and  birth-pangs.  They  themselves  have 
borne  children,  and  the  magnifying  of  the  birth  process 
seems  to  give  them  a  standing  in  their  own  eyes  which 
they  desire  to  suitably  impress  upon  the  new  candidate  for 
maternal  honors.  They  say,  in  effect:  "  The  birth  of  a 
child  is  a  tremendous  undertaking.  It  requires  the 
expenditure  of  incalculable  fortitude,  strength,  labor  and 
suffering.  We  have  borne  several  children,  and,  therefore, 
you  ought  to  look  upon  us  with  something  of  respect  and 
veneration."  All  this  is  well  enough,  and  true  enough, 
after  a  manner;  but  it  has  a  depressing  effect  on  the 


HYGIENE   OF   PREGNANCY.  443 

young  wife.  It  leads  her  to  look  forward  with  anxious 
solicitude  to  her  confinement;  to  brood  over  its  most 
uninviting  aspects  and  to  worry  herself  into  the  worst 
possible  condition  for  meeting  the  demands  of  child- 
labor. 

It  is  very  simple,  but  it  may  help  young  wives,  to 
remember  that  they  are  not  to  endure  the  trials  of  child- 
birth until  they  shall  be  confined.  There  never  was  and 
there  never  will  be  a  child  born  without  pain.  This  is 
axiomatic.  But  the  ordeal  is  not  the  terrible  excruciation 
which  excited  imagination  may  paint  it  to  be.  The  rea- 
sonable thing  for  the  prospective  mother  to  do  is  to  have 
herself  in  the  best  possible  physical  condition  for  her  con- 
finement. She  can,  in  a  great  measure,  mitigate  the  trials 
of  that  event,  and  almost  wholly  eliminate  the  element 
of  danger  from  it.  To  the  attainment  of  this  desirable 
condition,  it  is  advisable  for  her  that  she  talk  as  little  as 
possible  with  other  women  about  the  coming  hour.  Let 
her  think  as  little  as  possible  about  it.  It  will  come,  and 
come  soon  enough.  Her  husband,  her  mother,  and  her 
physician  are  her  best  confidants  and  counsellors.  Let  her 
remember,  too,  that  the  great  God,  who  orders  all  things 
below,  has  appointed  His  way  of  bringing  men  and  women 
into  the  world;  He  is  wise  and  good,  and  lays  no  burden 
on  any  of  His  children  greater  than  they  can  bear.  Let  her 
occupy  her  mind  with  the  present,  not  the  future.  When 
the  mind  forges  ahead,  let  it  leap  beyond  the  few  hours  of 
pain,  and  dwell  on  the  permanent  and  fathomless  joys  and 
blessings  of  maternity.  Her  present  care  should  be  to 
keep  her  strength  and  promote  her  health. 


444  MAIDENHO0D   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

A  reputable  author  says:  "Those  ailments  to  which 
pregnant  women  are  liable  are  most  of  them  inconveniences 
rather  than  diseases,  although  they  may  be  aggravated 
to  a  degree  of  real  danger.  Arising  as  they  do  from  the 
temporary  condition  of  the  organism,  what  they  require 
is,  not  such  medical  treatment  as  may  be  needed  for  a 
true  disease,  but  rather  a  general  hygienic  regimen.  For  a 
similar  reason,  while  on  the  one  hand  it  may  not  be  possi- 
ble to  remove  them  entirely,  yet,  on  the  other  they  can 
almost  always  be  alleviated.  In  general,  however,  it  may 
be  first  observed  that  such  a  way  of  living  as  shall  main- 
tain and  elevate  the  standard  of  general,  mental  and  phy- 
sical health,  will,  of  course,  increase  the  power  of  resisting 
and  surmounting  all  ailments  whatever." 

Pleasant    Surroundings. 

At  first,  pleasant  surroundings  are  essentially  neces- 
sary, both  for  the  health  of  the  mother  and  the  good  of 
the  child.  This  need  not  imply  wealth  or  luxuries,  but 
merely  desirable  and  agreeable  companionships,  a  com- 
fortable home,  and  freedom  from  exhausting  toil  and 
distressing  anxieties.  Many  persons  are  now  suffering 
from  a  lack  of  vitality  which  is  a  direct  result  of  the  over- 
burdening of  women  during  pregnancy,  and  by  the  trials 
and  privations  endured  by  the  early  settlers  of  the 
country.  The  breeder  who  desires  a  fine,  healthy,  well- 
developed  animal,  is  specially  careful  of  the  dam  while 
she  is  carrying  it.  An  equal  regard  for  the  well-being  of 
his  children  should  persuade  him  to  care  for  their  mother 


PLEASANT   SURROUNDINGS.  445 

during  the  time  of  her  pregnancy.  The  superior  place 
which  human  beings  hold  in  the  world,  and  the  father's, 
own  relation  to  his  children,  ought  to  be  sufficient  to 
incite  him  to  the  greatest  possible  care  of  the  mother 
during  gestation.  A  prudent  regard  for  the  future  should 
also  prevail.  When  a  child  is  born  dwarfed,  deformed,  or 
enfeebled,  and  grows  up  to  maturity  to  discover  that  he 
owes  his  unenviable  handicapping  for  life  to  the  lack  of 
care  bestowed  on  or  by  his  mother  while  he  was  in  her 
womb,  what  must  be  his  feelings  toward  that  parent? 
Looking  beyond  and  above  this,  what  must  be  the  regard 
placed  upon  such  carelessness  by  the  great  Author  of 
Nature  and  the  promulgator  of  Nature's  laws. 

The  responsibility  whjch  rests  upon  parents  concerning 
their  offspring  extends  farther  than  mere  physical  being. 
It  reaches  to  the  intellectual  character  and  moral  bias  of 
the  child.  These  are  largely  predetermined  by  the  con- 
duct of  the  parents,  and  especially  of  the  mother.  The 
child's  future  depends  upon  her  during  the  time  the  child 
is  a  part  of  herself.  She  is  not  an  independent  being,  with 
no  one  to  care  for  or  think  about  but  herself.  Another 
life  is  developing  within  her.  It  is  now  identified  with 
herself  and  inseparable  from  her.  But  a  time  will  come 
when  it  will  have  an  independent  existence.  She  is  a 
mother  from  the  moment  of  conception.  While  the  child 
remains  a  part  of  herself,  it  is  so  delicate  and  frail  that  it 
requires  even  greater  consideration  from  her  and  more 
careful  attention  than  after  birth. 

It  should  be  the  mother's  ambition  to  bear  healthy, 


446  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

well-formed,  intelligent  children.  It  may  be  safely 
assumed  that  such  is  the  desire  of  all  mothers.  It  is  pos- 
sible that  this  be  done  almost  without  exception.  And, 
yet,  how  few  mothers  there  are  who  give  to  the  conditions 
under  which  such  desired  offspring  are  possible  a  heed 
sufficient  to  make  the  end  attainable.  The  country  is  full 
of  ill-formed,  half-developed  men  and  women,  and  children 
are  being  born  every  day  that  are  puny,  weak  and 
deformed.  This  is  the  result  either  of  ignorance  On  the 
part  of  the  mothers  of  the  influence  they  are  able  to  exert 
over  their  unborn  babes,  or  of  a  criminal  neglect  of  the 
means  by  which  such  result  could  be  avoided. 

Food. 

During  gestation  the  wife  should  pay  considerable 
attention  to  the  food  she  eats.  The  supply  must  be 
abundant,  of  good  quality,  nourishing  and  blood-making. 
The  necessities  of  the  case  demand  this.  She  is  made, 
through  her  digestion  and  nutrition,  to  do  double  duty 
—  for  herself  and  for  a  rapidly-developing  being  within 
her.  The  quantity  should  exceed  what  she  is  accustomed 
to  in  ordinary  circumstances,  and  yet  not  be  excessive. 
Overloading  the  stomach  either  with  food  or  drink  inter- 
feres with  its  natural  action,  and,  hence,  defeats  the  very 
end  aimed  at.  More  frequent  eating,  rather  than  a  larger 
quantity  at  regular  times,  is  preferable.  The  food  should 
be  good,  plain,  highly  nutritious,  and  confined  to  such 
articles  as  are  found  to  be  most  agreeable  to  the  stomach. 
This  can  be  determined  only  by  actual  experience.  No 


CLOTHING.  447 

general  directions  can  be  given  that  would  be  of  practical 
use.  Animal  food,  tender  and  well-cooked,  is  generally 
suitable  to  all  wives  in  pregnancy.  It  is  rich  in  certain 
constituents  necessary  to  meet  the  demands  of  her  system 
at  this  time.  Vegetables  cf  good  quality  and  ripe  fruits 
are  always  desirable,  especially  if  there  be  a  tendency  to 
constipation,  as  is  most  frequently  the  case.  Porridge,  or 
a  diet  of  cracked  wheat,  is  often  a  sufficient  laxative  diet, 
and  is  nourishing  as  well. 

Many  women  suffer  excessively  from  paroxysms  of 
hunger  which  attack  them  in  the  night.  Provision  should 
be  made  for  these,  by  having  at  hand  some  light  biscuits 
and  a  bowl  of  milk,  placed  so  conveniently  that  there  need 
be  no  necessity  for  arising  from  the  bed.  These  cravings 
are  often  for  some  particular  kind  of  food.  As  far  as  does 
not  interfere  with  the  general  health,  this  desire  should  be 
humored.  "  It  is  a  curious  fact,"  says  a  writer  on  the 
subject  of  food,  "  that  the  modification  in  the  digestive 
system  during  pregnancy  is  sometimes  so  great  that  sub- 
stances ordinarily  the  most  indigestible  are  eaten  without 
any  inconvenience,  and  even  with  benefit,  while  the  most 
healthful  articles  become  hurtful  and  act  like  poison."  As 
the  foetus  develops,  its  demands  for  support  will  cor- 
respondingly increase,  and  a  larger  quantity  of  food  will 
be  found  necessary  for  the  mother. 

Clothing. 

The  style  and  manner  of  adjusting  the  clothing  during 
this  period  is  a  disideratum.  There  are  few  other  things 
which  have  a  greater  bearing  upon  the  comfort  of  the 


448  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

mother  and  the  good  of  her  child  than  the  one  named. 
Some  mothers,  particularly  young  ones,  will  wear  corsets 
and  have  them  laced  so  as  to  seriously  interfere  with  the 
easy  and  natural  enlargement  of  the  abdomen.  This  is 
not  only  foolish,  a  prompting  of  pride,  perhaps,  to  conceal 
the  condition  as  long  as  possible  and  as  far  as  possible 
from  others,  but  it  is  also  hurtful  alike  to  mother  and 
child.  It  is  a  false  modesty  which  prompts  a  woman  in 
honorable  wedlock  to  attempt  to  cover  the  fact  of  preg- 
nancy. There  is  no  man  or  woman  in  society  whose 
opinion  is  worth  considering  who  will  criticise  a  wife  who 
is  thus  fulfilling  one  of  the  highest  ends  of  her  nature. 
True  modesty  and  delicacy  are  intimately  associated  with 
honesty.  The  efforts  of  the  mother  to  deceive  her  friends 
regarding  her  condition  can  very  rarely  succeed,  and  the 
feeling  of  repugnance  at  the  palpable  cheat  goes  far  toward 
counteracting  the  respect  and  reverence  her  condition 
otherwise  would  command. 

The  French  term  enceinte  was  originally  applied  to 
pregnant  women  from  a  habit  of  laying  aside  the  belt  or 
girdle  which  they  were  otherwise  accustomed  to  wear ; 
hence,  the  term  enceinte  means  to  be  unbound,  and  has 
come  to  be  applied  to  women  in  ante-confinement  mother- 
hood. Loosening  the  girdle  was  for  the  purpose  of 
allowing  the  free  and  natural  development  of  the  foetus, 
and  the  enlargement  of  the  mother's  abdomen.  The  same 
necessity  exists  now  as  formerly  for  this  wise  provision. 
While  there  is  no  demand  that  the  mother  make  an  undue 
advertisement  of  her  state,  which  would  be  as  immodest 


CLOTHING.  449 

as  the  attempts  at  its  concealment,  it  is  eminently  desirable 
that  her  dress,  especially  about  those  parts  of  her  body 
which  are  the  regions  of  procreative  life,  be  worn  quite 
loosely.  This  can  be  done  without  surrendering  up  all 
neatness  and  taste  The  Spartan  mothers  were  compelled 
by  law  to  wear  loose  clothing  during  gestation,  the  theory 
being  that  as  the  future  of  the  State  depended  upon  the 
character  of  the  children  which  were  born  to  it,  the  State 
had  the  right  to  protect  itself  by  compelling  its  women  to 
produce  the  best  of  which  they  were  capable. 

The  wearing  of  stays  during  this  time  may  be  attended 
with  serious  consequences.  Should  they  be  worn,  how- 
ever, they  should  be  as  loose  as  possible,  and  so  con- 
structed as  to  readily  accommodate  to  the  changing  figure. 
No  irregularity  should  be  allowed,  as  this  will  bring 
irregular  pressure.  The  breasts  especially  should  be  free 
from  pressure,  as  in  their  enlarging  and  often  irritable  con- 
dition, abscesses  and  excoriated  nipples  are  likely  to  be  the 
result.  One  experience  with  sore  breasts  will  be  sufficient 
for  any  woman  who  survives  it  to  effectually  warn  her 
against  any  actions  on  her  part  that  are  liable  to  bring 
a  repetition. 

The  weight  of  the  clothing  worn -is  no  inconsiderable 
matter.  The  state  of  the  weather  will  have  something  to 
do  with  the  quantity  of  clothing,  but  its  quality  can  materi- 
ally lessen  the  weight.  The  circulation  of  pregnant  women 
is  often  not  so  good  as  at  other  times,  and  consequently 
there  is  a  tendency  to  coldness.  This  must  be  guarded 
against.  It  can  be  done,  however,  without  in  any  appre- 


4$O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

ciable  degree  increasing  the  weight  of  the  dress  worn.  No 
fabric  meets  all  the  demands  so  fully  as  flannel,  especially 
for  under-garments.  It  is  warm,  porous,  and  comparatively 
light  in  weight.  Worn  under  loose  over-dress,  it  permits 
the  free  circulation  of  air  from  and  to  the  body,  and  is 
thus  a  most  effectual  preventive  of  rheumatism  of  the  womb 
and  kindred  affections.  During  the  later  months  there  is 
more  or  less  pressure  upon  the  vessels  which  distribute  the 
blood  to  the  lower  limbs.  This  is  caused  by  the  advance 
of  the  enlarging  foetus.  An  additional  obstruction  to  the 
already  impeded  circulation  by  closely-fitting  dress  should 
by  all  means  be  avoided.  It  is  not  unusual  to  find  women 
whose  veins  are  enlarged  and  knotted.  Very  troublesome 
ulcers  may  be  developed  which  seriously  interfere  with 
locomotion,  if  they  do  not  prevent  it  entirely.  The  bands 
on  the  lower  ends  of  the  drawers  and  the  stocking-sup- 
porters should  be  as  loose  as  possible.  These  girdles  act 
directly  in  impeding  the  circulation,  which  already  is 
hindered.  Comfort  is  a  very  good  guide  in  matters  of 
dress. 

Exercise. 

The  innate  modesty  and  a  decent  regard  for  public 
esteem  will  lead  women  to  withdraw  very  largely  from  the 
public  during  the  ante-confinement  period.  Their  condi- 
tion also  necessitates  that  they  receive  more  care  and 
attention  from  others  than  is  necessary  to  be  bestowed  at 
other  times.  While  these  things  are  so,  it  is  not  to  be 
advised  that  too-close  confinement  to  the  house  and 


EXERCISE.  451 

especially  to  comfortable  reclinement  be  pursued.  Some 
women  never  allow  themselves  to  be  seen  or  to  appear 
outside  their  homes  during  the  later  months  of  gestation. 
They  will  spend  the  time  upon  an  easy-chair,  and  demand 
and  receive  a  large  attention.  This  is  dangerous  to  both 
mother  and  child.  Such  confinement  has  the  tendency  to 
increase  the  natural  disposition  to  irritation  and  nervous- 
ness, even  to  engender  a  spirit  of  unrest  and  melancholy, 
to  the  discomfort  of  the  entire  family.  Nothing  is  more 
beneficial  to  women  in  this  condition  than  abundant  gentle 
exercise  in  the  open  air.  Pure  air  and  sunshine  are  the 
great  life-giving  principles  of  Nature,  and  contribute  more 
to  cheerfulness  and  happiness  than  anything  else.  In  a 
sense,  it  is  as  necessary  for  the  good  of  the  unborn  child 
that  its  mother  have  pure  air  and  sunshine  as  it  is  for  the 
immature  fruit  of  the  tree  and  vegetable  that  the  parent 
stock  be  supplied  with  thesetfactors. 

This  open-air  exposure  is  best  and  most  safely  taken  on 
foot.  It  should  never  be  extended  to  the  limit  of  fatigue. 
Too-active  exercise,  especially  if  it  extend  to  roughness, 
such  as  running,  jumping  or  dancing,  should  be  strictly 
prohibited.  Horseback  riding,  going  in  a  vehicle  over 
rough  roads,  and  lifting  or  carrying  heavy  burdens,  are  to 
be  avoided  scrupulously.  Any  of  these  forms  of  exercise 
tends  to  produce  miscarriage.  Miscarriage  is  always  to 
be  dreaded,  and  it  is  particularly  liable  to  occur  in  the 
earlier  months.  Very  extended  journeys  by  any  mode 
cf  locomotion  are  not  to  be  undertaken.  They  are 
neither  good  nor  safe.  Embarrassing  and  dangerous 


452  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

circumstances  frequently  arise  in  such  protracted  travel. 
A  peculiar  condition  of  the  nervous  system  is  created  by 
the  vibratory  motion  of  railway  coaches  or  even  on  street 
cars,  which  induces  vomiting.  This  vomiting  may  rup- 
ture the  very  delicate  membrane  by  which  the  fcetus  is 
attached  to  the  inner  surface  of  the  womb.  The  result 
is  inordinate  flooding,  followed  by  miscarriage. 

Common  sense  and  a  proper  comprehension  of  her 
condition  and  the  capabilities  of  her  strength,  will  be  a 
sufficient  guide  to  the  wife  in  the  matter  of  exercise.  It 
is  enough  that  she  be  advised  that  abundant  exercise, 
gentle  and  exhilarating,  and  in  the  open  air  and  sun,  be 
taken.  The  amount  of  this  exercise  should  differ  with 
different  women,  as  should  also  its  quality.  What  may 
be  needed  by  one  is  hazardous  to  another.  Premonitory 
sensations  will  be  a  sufficient  warning  to  the  mother  when 
she  is  exceeding  or  approaching  the  confines  of  safety. 
It  is  advisable  that  she  always  be  in  such  situations  that 
she  can  at  once  cease  her  exercise  and  secure  rest  and 
quiet  on  the  approach  of  these  warnings.  This  she 
cannot  do  unless  she  remain  near  her  own  home,  and  it  is 
for  this  reason,  among  others,  that  long  journeys  are  to 
be  discouraged.  The  first  approach  of  fatigue  should  be 
the  signal  for  the  discontinuance  of  the  exercise  at  that 
time.  Frequent  short  walks  are,  for  this  reason,  better 
than  long  ones.  Exercise  of  any  sort,  at  frequent  inter- 
vals, is,  for  the  same  reason,  to  be  preferred  to  the  same 
amount  of  exercise  taken  at  one  time. 

Exercise  in  pregnancy,   as  at  other  times,   is   always 

EviJJf^j 
[SY 


EXERCISE.  453 

more  beneficial  if  the  surrounding  circumstances  be 
pleasant  and  agreeable.  Exercise,  for  the  mere  sake  of 
exercise,  is  likely  to  be  irksome.  For  the  woman  to 
start  out  upon  a  walk  with  no  purpose  in  view  save  to  go 
so  far  and  consume  so  much  time,  is  likely  to  defeat  the 
principal  end  to  be  gained  by  it.  Let  there  be  an  object, 
an  ulterior  purpose,  if  possible,  in  the  exercise  taken. 
Pleasant  and  enjoyable  company  is  an  excellent  factor. 
Topics  of  conversation  should  be  such  as  will  take  the 
mind  away  from  unpleasant  matters  and  lead  to  self- 
forgetfulness  as  much  as  possible.  The  surroundings  of 
the  walk  should  not  be  unpleasant.  '  The  scenery  has  a 
direct  effect  upon  the  spirits,  and  these  act  indirectly 
upon  the  mother  and  the  child  she  is  developing. 

With  many  women  the  inclination  to  indolence  and 
inactivity  during  gestation  is  great.  It  requires  effort  to 
overcome,  but  it  should  be  resisted.  A  woman  may, 
with  benefit  and  safety,  attend  to  many  of  her  household 
duties.  In  most  cases  it  is  far  better  for  both  herself  and 
her  child  that  she  do  so.  It  is  natural  for 'her  to  continue 
in  her  accustomed  duties.  She  is  more  interested  in  these, 
and  will  take  more  pleasure  and  find  more  rest  to  her 
mind  to  do  them  herself  than  to  sit  about  idle  and  see 
strangers  taking  her  place.  She  is  more  easily  led  to  self- 
forgetfulness  in  the  performance  of  accustomed  exercise 
than  in  something  that  is  new  and  unusual.  The  extent 
of  the  household  duties  performed  depends  upon  the  con- 
stitution and  health  of  the  patient.  If  she  be  delicate  and 
nervous,  very  little  labor  can  with  safety  be  performed. 


454  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

As  she  nears  the  end  of  her  pregnancy,  the  duties  should 
be  abridged,  and  all  her  strength  saved  for  her  labors.  It 
is  not  to  be  assumed,  however,  that  indolence  or  entire 
inactivity  are  most  conducive  to  this  end.  On  the  con- 
trary, one  is  made  strong  by  feats  of  strength  ;  able  to 
endure  by  enduring.  The  general  principles  of  health 
and  strength  are  not  made  inoperative  in  the  case. 

Ventilation. 

In  reviewing  the  general  subject,  it  is  difficult  to  deter- 
mine what  is  the  more  important  factor.  As  each  is 
considered  it  seems  to  loom  into  pre-eminence.  But,  all 
things  considered,  pure  air  is  the  most  important  concomi- 
tant to  be  secured.  This,  of  course,  is  not  confined  to  the 
time  spent  outside  the  house.  That  is  only  a  small  part 
of  the  whole  time.  The  larger  part  of  even  the  waking 
hours  must  be  passed  in  the  house.  This  necessitates  care 
for  the  proper  ventilation  of  the  rooms  in  which  the  time 
is  spent.  The  sitting-room,  and  especially  the  sleeping- 
room,  should  be  constantly  exposed  to  a  full  and  free 
circulation  of  pure  air.  In  certain  seasons  of  the  year, 
this  will  require  no  little  attention.  In  cold  weather  the 
inclination  is  to  have  the  room  very  close,  in  order  to 
maintain  sufficient  heat  for  comfort.  In  warmer  weather 
the  doors  and  windows  will  be  kept  open  without  incon- 
venience. It  is  desirable,  even  in  extreme  weather,  that 
the  rooms  be  thoroughly  purged  several  times  each  day 
by  opening  doors  and  windows.  The  mother  can  with- 
draw into  another  apartment  during  this  process. 


VENTILATION.  455 

Extremes  of  heat  and  cold  must  be  avoided  more  care- 
fully now  than  at  other  times.  Plenty  of  light  and,  if 
attainable,  an  equal  abundance  of  sunshine,  should  flood 
the  sitting  and  bed  rooms.  It  was  an  excellent  custom 
among  certain  of  the  ancients,  to  have  constructed  on  the 
tops  of  their  houses  a  solarium,  or  air-bath  chamber,  to 
which  they  repaired  daily.  Persons  who  have  had  no 
experience  with  this  remedial  agent  in  serious  and  pro- 
tracted ailments  will  be  surprised  at  the  benefits  it  confers. 
It  certainly  argues  little  for  man's  wisdom  and  prudence  as 
regards  himself,  that  with  constant  exhibitions  of  the 
value  of  sun  and  air  in  the  vegetable  and  lower-animal 
worlds  he  should  give  himself  so  little  benefit  of  the  lesson 
taught. 

Care  of  the  Nipples. 

Too  little  prominence  has  been  given  by  writers  on 
this  subject  to  the  care  that  should  be  given  to  the  nipples 
during  pregnancy.  As  a  result,  these  organs  are  generally 
allowed  to  take  care  of  themselves,  and  the  consequence 
is  that  lying-in  women  are  often  greatly  troubled  with  sore 
nipples.  It  is  the  general  rule  with  the  first  child  that  the 
mother  will  have  trouble  on  this  point,  unless  she  have 
previously  given  her  attention  and  care  to  her  nipples. 
All  this  can  easily  be  averted  by  a  little  care  during  the 
last  three  months  of  pregnancy.  Take  a  small  piece  of 
alum,  the  size  of  an  ordinary  hulled  hickory-nut,  and 
dissolve  it  in  two  ounces  of  soft  water.  Add  to  this  solu- 
tion two  ounces  of  alcohol.  Bathe  the  nipples  with  this 


456  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

decoction  from  two  to  four  tin  s  each  week  for  the  last 
twelve  weeks  before  confinemen  It  is  a  good  plan,  too, 
to  thoroughly  rub  the  nipples  with  the  thumb  and  fingers, 
working  them  as  the  action  of  suction  will  after  awhile. 
This  manipulation  should  be  begun  gently  at  first  and 
gradually  increased,  pulling  out  the  nipple  as  if  extracting 
milk.  This  will  serve  to  harden  the  skin  and  also  to  draw 
out  the  nipple,  so  that  the  child  will  find  no  difficulty  in 
nursing.  These  little  attentions  require  but  a  few  minutes 
each  day,  and  will  amply  repay  all  the  trouble  expended. 

Bed-chamber. 

The  bed-chamber  should  be  ample  enough  to  contain 
two  beds,  one  of  which  the  wife  should  occupy  alone.  It 
is  better  for  her  that  she  sleep  alone  rather  than  with  her 
husband  during  this  period  —  and  this  for  the  reason  that 
marital  intercourse  should  be  limited  very  greatly,  both 
for  the  sake  of  the  wife  and  for  that  of  her  child.  It  is 
not  best  that  the  wife  occupy  a  room  by  herself,  as  some- 
thing may  occur  during  the  night  —  an  accident,  or  some 
attention  may  be  needed  which  her  husband  can  render. 
This  chamber  should  have  a  southern  exposure,  if  possible, 
and  must  certainly  be  so  arranged  as  to  admit  ample 
ventilation,  and  yet  not  be  subject  to  draughts.  This 
room  should  be  kept  free  from  all  confusion  of  furniture, 
and,  above  all  things,  should  have  a  cheerful  look.  If 
pictures  and  other  ornamental  works  of  art  can  be 
arranged  about  the  walls,  so  much  the  better.  Every- 
thing of  a  gloomy  cast  or  suggestive  of  discomfort  and 


COMPANY.  457 

disorder,  should  be  carefully  excluded.  The  mind  of  the 
wife  will  take  on  the  impression  of  what  the  eyes  reveal, 
and  the  state  of  the  mind  will  be  surely  impressed  upon 
the  child's  mind  and  disposition.  It  is  because  of  this 
latter  fact  that  so  much  emphasis  is  laid  upon  these  minor 
details. 

Company. 

Cheerful  company  is  a  consideration  of  no  trivial 
importance.  The  wife's  mind  should  not  be  given  to  any 
intensity  of  thought  during  this  period.  It  should  be 
kept  as  much  as  possible  from  serious  reflections  on  her 
own  condition.  Pleasant,  bright,  cheering  companions 
are  a  great  help  in  this  direction.  Both  husband  and  wife 
should  be  more  careful  now  than  at  any  time  as  to  who 
shall  see  and  converse  with  the  wife.  Some  people  are 
"  great  company,"  but  not  at  all  suitable  for  this  time. 
Others  there  are  who  are  like  a  refreshing  summer  shower; 
one  scarce  knows  what  they  have  said  or  done,  but  they 
bring  with  them  a  delightful  atmosphere,  and  leave  an 
aroma  of  exaltation  that  is  peculiarly  beneficial  to  a  preg- 
nant woman.  Such  companions  should  be  encouraged  in 
their  visits.  They  will  be  able  to  prevent  the  introspection 
of  the  wife  which  so  easily  leads  to  melancholy  and 
despondency,  and  they  will,  at  the  same  time,  impart  a 
charm  that  cannot  be  defined  or  measured.  They  inspire 
hope  and  encouragement.  They  raise  the  spirits  and 
animate  the  heart.  There  are  few  women  who  have  not 
friends  of  this  sort.  Now,  if  ever  in  her  life,  is  the  time 


458  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

when  the  wife  has  the  indisputable  right  to  select  her 
companions.  This  privilege  she  should  exert  to  the  fullest 
extent.  The  husband  is  justified  in  excluding  from  his 
wife's  company  any  and  every  person,  no  matter  how 
intimate  the  relationship  that  may  exist,  whose  influence 
is  not  good. 

Gratifying  Hen    Fancies. 

Women  are  full  of  fancies  in  this  period.  They  will 
often  be  assailed  with  an  intense  desire  to  secure  some- 
thing that  they  do  not  have.  Often  this  takes  the  direction 
of  some  peculiar  article  of  diet.  An  instance  is  that  of  a 
woman  who  was  eager  for  some  particular  sorts  of  animal 
food.  Her  appetite  was  not  good,  but  she  was  certain  if 
she  could  secure  this  or  that  meat,  it  would  be  to  her 
taste.  She  finally  was  seized  with  the  notion  that  she 
must  have  a  common  meadow-lark.  Her  husband 
attempted  to  deflect  her  mind,  but  it  persistently  returned 
to  the  one  thing.  Eventually  he  killed  and  had  dressed 
and  cooked  a  lark,  when  his  wife  found  that  she  could  not 
eat  it  at  all.  As  a  general  rule,  however,  it  happens  that 
these  intense  desires  for  a  kind  of  food  are  not  detrimental 
to  health.  In  such  cases  it  is  always  desirable  to  gratify 
the  woman.  These  are  but  whims,  of  course,  but  where 
their  gratification  does  no  harm,  it  is  best  to  humor  them. 
It  tranquilizes  the  mind.  If  the  fancy  should  take  the 
direction  of  something  which  it  is  undesirable  to  have,  the 
husband  can,  if  attentive  and  persistent,  direct  the  mind 
for  the  time,  and  the  probabilities  are  that  the  whim  can 


INFLUENCE  OF  INHERITANCE.  459 

be  conjured  away.  The  whole  aim  should  be  to  prevent 
the  wife  brooding  over  any  matter,  however  trivial  or 
foolish  it  may  seem  to  the  husband.  He  must  remember 
that  she  is  not  herself,  and  must  be  as  patient  and  fore- 
bearing  with  her  as  with  a  feeble  child. 

Influence  of   Inheritance. 

This  subject  is  so  full  of  interest,  and  includes  such  a 
broad  field  for  thought,  that  its  full  discussion  would  be 
impossible  within  the  scope  of  this  work.  It  introduces 
many  very  singular  facts  that  have  a  direct  bearing  upon 
the  welfare  and  happiness  of  every  individual,  and  for  the 
better  comprehension  of  that  part  of  the  subject  pertinent 
to  the  present  inquiry,  it  will  be  well  to  define  some  of  the 
principal  modes  of  inheritance. 

First — Direct  inheritance,  or  the  qualities  that  the 
child  receives  from  its  father  and  mother. 

Second — Indirect  inheritance,  in  which  the  child  bears 
a  more  striking  resemblance  to  some  uncle  or  aunt  than  to 
either  its  father  or  mother. 

Third — Atavism,  which  is  defined  by  Webster  to 
mean:  "  The  recurrence  of  any  peculiarity  or  disease  of 
an  ancestor  in  a  subsequent  generation,  after  an  inter- 
mission of  a  generation  or  two."  Thus  a  child  not 
unfrequently  exhibits  some  peculiar  characteristic  of  its 
great  grandparent  that  was  wholly  lost  in  its  parent. 
This  peculiar  feature,  no  doubt,  has  been  met  by  many 
observers  in  the  mixture  of  African  and  Anglo-Saxon 
races. 


460  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

A  fourth  variety  is  that  in  which  a  child  resembles 
neither  of  its  parents,  but  some  of  its  mother's  intimate 
friends.  This  peculiar  kind  of  inheritance  is  doubtless 
fraught  with  greater  evil  to  the  comfort  of  families  than  any 
other  we  have  mentioned.  A  woman,  by  a  subsequent 
marriage,  may  transmit  the  peculiarities  or  diseases  received 
through  her  previous  husband.  Thus  may  the  misfortunes 
of  a  man  be  transmitted  to  children  that  are  not  his  own, 
and  even  a  dead  man  may  exert  an  influence  over  the  future 
offspring  of  his  wife,  by  means  of  the  ineffaceable  impress 
he  made  upon  her  in  the  conjugal  relation.  Lady  Montague 
said:  "  It  goes  far  toward  reconciling  me  to  be  a  woman, 
when  I  reflect  that  I  am  thus  in  no  danger  of  marrying 
one."  I  would  substitute  "  man"  for  "  woman." 

This  species  of  inheritance  is  a  two-fold  character, 
embracing  misfortunes  and  diseases  that  may  be  the  result 
of  taint  of  blood,  or  impressions  received  through  mental 
influences  or  accidents  operating  through  the  mother.  A 
child  may  be  born  idiotic  or  deformed,  not  because  either 
of  its  parents  or  any  of  its  ancestors  were  thus  afflicted, 
but  from  the  effect  of  some  mental  shock  upon  the  mother 
during  her  pregnancy.  Again,  a  child  may  be  born  with 
the  silly,  staggering  appearance  of  a  drunkard,  or  constant 
twitchings  and  irregular  movements  of  the  voluntary 
muscles  resembling  chorea.  But  such  cases  are  not  hered- 
itary, for  that  cannot  be'  hereditary  which  was  not 
possessed  by  either  parents  or  ancestry.  Having  thus 
defined  these  several  kinds  of  inheritance,  let  us  examine 
the  effect  they  exert  upon  the  physical  economy. 


MISFORTUNES   THAT   MAY    HAPPEN   THE    CHILD.      461 


Misfortunes  that    May    Happen  the   Child  Through  the 

Mother. 

An  observance  of  the  rules  hygienic  is  not  only  desirable 
because  it  conduces  to  the  greater  comfort  and  safety  of 
the  wife  and  her  child,  but  because  of  the  dangers  to  both 
herself  and  her  child  through  neglect  of  such  rules.  Women 
who  are  careless  in  this  regard  during  pregnancy  often 
have  to  suffer  for  it  directly,  but  oftener  in  seeing  the 
results  of  such  neglect  stamped  indelibly  upon  their  chil- 
dren. Nothing  is  more  essential  for  the  future  good  of  any 
child  than  that  it  be  born  with  a  vigorous  constitution. 
This  it  can  only  hope  to  have  by  the  most  careful  attention 
of  the  mother  to  herself  before  the  child  leaves  her  body. 
The  strength  and  durability  of  any  structure  depends 
largely  upon  its  foundation.  The  constitution  is  the  foun- 
dation of  the  child's  life  and  health.  This  quality  is  largely 
inherited.  True,  much  may  be  remedied  and  built  up, 
even  as  a  poorly-built  house  can  be  patched  and  propped 
into  something  like  substantiability.  But  it  is  not  wise  to 
lay  a  poor  foundation  either  in  a  child  or  a  house,  and 
certainly  not  to  calculate  to  repair  it  afterward. 

The  wife  of  the  laboring  man,  realizing  the  necessity 
of  living  in  the  most  economical  manner,  performs  the 
severest  drudgery  in  the  midst  of  aches  and  pains  and  at 
the  expense  of  a  child's  health.  Many  women,  it  is  true, 
will  tell  you  that  they  never  felt  better  able  to  perform 
their  household  duties  than  when  carrying  their  children. 
They  are  not  aware  of  the  fact  that  their  condition  too 


462  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

frequently  gives  them  ambition  beyond  their  physical 
strength,  and  they  are  thereby  stimulated  to  use  their 
strength  at  the  expense  of  that  of  the  child.  How 
often  have  I  heard  a  mother  exclaim,  upon  beholding 
her  puny,  little,  new-born  babe  :  "  Why,  how  little  and 
trifling  it  looks.  I  thought  it  would  be  big  and  fat,  for  I 
felt  so  well  all  the  time  and  did  so  much  work."  The 
poor  woman  did  not  know  that  she  had  done  "  so  much 
work  "  at  the  expense  of  the  well-being  of  her  child.  I 
cannot  refrain  from  introducing  a  case  related  by  a 
worthy  member  of  the  profession  to  illustrate  more  fully 
what  I  mean.  He  said  :  "  I  am  acquainted  with  a  charm- 
ing old  lady,  whose  seventy-eight  summers  have  left  her 
in  possession  of  health  and  happiness  as  a  heritage  of  a 
well-spent  life.  In  talking  of  those  things,  she  says  : 
'  Why  is  it  that  my  daughters  have  no  powers  of  endur- 
ance ?  Their  father  was  never  sick.  My  own  health  and 
strength  have  been  a  marvel  to  every  one.  Why,  the 
three  girls  together  cannot  do  the  work  I  could  when  I 
was  their  age.  Why,  what  would  have  become  of  us  if  I 
had  been  lying  around  in  silk  wrappers  and  satin  slippers, 
dosing  with  drugs,  as  my  girls  do  ? '  The  poor  old 
woman  told  the  story.  She  robbed  them  of  their  inherit- 
ance by  using  all  her  vitality  in  her  daily  avocations,  and 
they  must  suffer  for  her  wrong-doing." 

Many  mothers  overtax  their  powers  during  pregnancy 
simply  because  they  can  do  so  without  feeling  any  incon- 
venience. They  forget  that  they  are  doing  double  duty 
at  this  time,  and  the  draught  made  of  their  surplus  vitality 


UNNATURAL  DEVELOPMENTS.          463 

goes,  or  should  go,  to  their  children.  If  it  be  expended 
in  other  ways,  the  children  will  suffer,  and  will  show  it  at 
birth  by  weak  constitutions,  and  throughout  life  by  being 
imperfectly  equipped  for  the  great  demands  that  life 
brings  to  every  one.  Moreover,  there  is  a  moral  respon- 
sibility resting  upon  every  mother  to  give  her  children 
the  best  heritage  she  has  to  bestow.  Nothing  can  be 
better  than  a  sure  health-basis.  It  appears  to  a  careful 
observer  that  the  generation  now  growing  up  has  received 
more  care  in  these  regards  than  that  which  is  passing 
away. 

Mothers  are  becoming  wiser  and  better  acquainted 
with  the  duties  and  responsibilities  of  maternity.  The  old 
generation,  some  remnants  of  which  are  still  to  be  seen, 
gave  evidence  of  a  too-hardy  existence  in  its  progenitors. 
Mortal  diseases  are  more  common  than  ever  before,  and 
many  more  victims  are  being  carried  away  in  the  very 
midst  of  life.  Longevity  is  less  extended  than  it  was  fifty 
years  ago.  Fewer  persons  reach  the  average  three-score 
and  ten  years  of  human  life,  while  the  chance  four-score 
age  is  rare  enough  to  evoke  remark.  It  is  believed  and 
fervently  hoped  that  the  children  of  to-day  possess  better 
constitutions  than  their  parents  received  from  their  pro- 
genitors, and  that  the  standard  of  longevity  will  be  raised 
in  the  years  to  come. 

Unnatural    Developments. 

Anatomical  peculiarities  upon  the  body  of  the  child 
are  often  produced  oy  mental  impression  received  on  the 
mind  of  the  mother  during  pregnancy.  This  is  denied  by 


464  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

some  physiologists,  who  maintain  that  such  defects,  marks 
or  deformities  are  more  the  result  of  inheritance.  Careful 
observation,  however,  leads  to  the  conclusion  that  many 
such  phenomena  are  due  to  forces  that  have  their  origin 
in  the  mind,  life  and  habits  of  the  mother  while  her  child 
is  developing  within  her  womb.  The  writer  was  present 
at  the  birth  of  two  children  which  belonged  to  two  differ- 
ent families  that  were  in  no  way  related  and  did  not  live 
in  the  same  part  of  the  country.  Both  children  were 
devoid  of  all  that  part  of  the  head  extending  above  the 
eye-brows.  The  bones  of  the  skull  in  each  appeared  to 
have  been  cut  off,  as  if  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the 
brain.  The  brain  itself  appeared  perfect  and  full  size, 
but  had  no  covering  of  bone  or  skin  above  it.  There  was 
no  difficulty  in  either  case  in  discovering  the  probable 
cause  of  the  deformity.  It  was  the  same — an  impression 
made  on  the  mother's  mind  during  gestation.  Cases  of 
club-feet,  malformed  fingers  or  toes,  etc.,  are  generally 
attributable  to  causes  of  this  kind.  Every  physician  is 
familiar  with  instances  to  prove  this. 

A  well-authenticated  case  illustrates  the  point  in  hand 
in  a  horribly  clear  and  pointed  manner.  It  comes  from  a- 
small  town  in  New  Jersey,  where  a  child  was  born  some 
two  years  since,  having  all  the  symptoms  of  intoxication. 
At  this  writing  the  child  is  over  two  years  old,  well- 
formed,  entirely  healthy,  with  no  mental  defect  apparent. 
The  physicians  explain  that  there  is  no  evidence  of  cata- 
lepsy, that  there  are  no  fits,  no  convulsions  in  the  case, 
whatever.  But  there  seems  to  be  no  co-ordination  in  the 


UNNATURAL  DEVELOPMENTS.          465 

movements  of  the  lower  limbs.  The  child's  gait  is  heavy 
and  insecure  —  a  regular  drunken  reel  or  stagger.  The 
speech  is  not  only  thick,  incoherent  and  rambling,  but  has 
all  the  phenomena  of  exhilaration  and  excitement  charac- 
teristic of  the  earlier  stages  of  intoxication.  The  ideas 
seem  to  flow  rapidly,  the  senses  are  acute,  but  there  are 
the  muscular  tremblings  and  the  actual  shambling  gait  of 
the  drunkard. 

This  abnormal  condition  is  thus  explained,  and  satis- 
factorily :  During  the  pregnancy  of  the  mother  she  was 
one  evening  called  to  go  to  market.  She  had  been  mar- 
ried but  a  year,  and  she  and  her  husband  were  greatly 
attached  to  each  other.  She  believed  him  to  be  temper- 
ate ;  indeed,  never  had  a  thought  to  the  contrary.  She 
was  compelled  to  pass  a  grog-shop  on  her  way,  and  as  she 
came  to  it  she  heard  a  voice  that  was  strangely  like  her 
husband's,  singing  a  ribald  song.  She  was  so  struck  with 
astonishment  that  she  involuntarily  looked  in  at  the  door, 
not  to  verify,  but  to  remove  the  unpleasant  suspicions 
which  the  familiar  voice  created.  There  she  beheld  her 
husband  in  a  state  of  hilarious  intoxication.  This  was  but 
a  few  weeks  before  the  birth  of  her  child.  It  was  a  boy, 
and  seemed  physically  perfect  and  well-formed.  He  soon 
developed  the  peculiarities  noted,  which  he  will  no  doubt 
carry  with  him  through  life.  It  is  one  of  the  most  singu- 
lar cases  on  record,  and  can  be  accounted  for  on  no  other 
hypothesis  than  that  the  impression  of  horror  made  on  the 
mother's  mind  was  conveyed  to  the  foetus  within  her 
womb. 


466  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 


Birthmarks. 

Birthmarks,  as  they  are  commonly  called,  are  traceable 
to  the  same  cause.  This  subject  is  treated  at  some  length 
in  another  part  of  this  work.  It  is  only  necessary  to  refer 
to  the  matter  here  as  an  additional  reason  why  wives 
should  be  careful  during  the  pregnant  period,  and  as  a 
reason  why  such  women  should  be  surrounded  by  cheerful 
and  pleasant  pictures.  All  the  environments  have  an 
influence,  but  those  which  are  startling  are  most  likely  to 
be  reproduced  in  the  child.  Indifference  and  nothingness 
should  not  possess  the  mind  ;  these  will  surely  character- 
ize the  child,  and  they  are  undesirable  qualities. 

The  influence  of  the  mother's  mind  on  the  child  in 
uter o  being  conceded,  as  it  must  be  by  any  one  who  has 
made  any  extensive  study  of  the  subject,  the  question 
will  arise  as  to  the  power  of  this  influence  to  determine 
the  physical  features  of  the  child.  If  the  constitution  and 
physical  development  of  the  child  depend  so  largely  upon 
the  mother,  why  may  not  its  features  ?  There  exists  no 
reason  to  deny  this  theory.  On  the  contrary,  the 
evidence  is  overpowering  that  such  appearances  can  be 
determined  to  a  marked  degree. 

Most  persons  are  familiar  with  the  resemblance  that 
subsists  between  families  from  generation  to  generation, 
while  it  is  well  known  that  offspring  inherit  many  of  the 
qualities  and  peculiarities  of  the  parents.  Hereditary 
resemblance,  however,  is  seldom  ever  blended,  numerous 
differences  being  almost  always  observed  in  the  features 


BIRTHMARKS.  467 

and  other  characteristics  of  the  same  family.  Male  and 
female  children  seldom  perfectly  resemble  either  the  father 
or  the  mother,  but  a  blending  of  the  characteristics  of  both 
are  readily  recognizable  in  the  offspring.  It  might  be 
supposed  that  as  the  mother  furnishes  the  egg  and  its 
nourishment  after  conception,  that  the  offspring  would 
partake  more  of  her  peculiarities  than  of  the  father's. 
This,  however,  is  not  the  fact.  There  will  be  quite  as 
much  resemblance  to  the  father  as  to  the  mother,  if  such 
phenomena  be  not  in  favor  of  the  former.  As  a  general 
rule,  it  cannot  be  said  that  either  male  or  female  in  the 
human  species  exerts  more  influence  than  the  other  in  the 
physical  and  intellectual  conformations  and  peculiarities 
of  the  offspring.  In  some  families  the  children  will  most 
resemble  the  father  ;  in  others,  the  mother's  traits  are  the 
more  predominant.  It  has  often  been  heard  of  new-born 
children  that  they  resemble  this  or  that  person,  the  refer- 
ence being  to  friends  who  have  been  much  with  the 
mother  during  pregnancy,  or  are  her  most  intimate  and 
trusted  friends.  The  proof  is  so  conclusive  in  fact  that  it 
becomes  almost  a  cruelty  for  the  mother  to  allow  her  mind 
to  dwell  on  any  but  pleasant  subjects,  or  to  be  occupied 
with  any  but  cheerful  pictures. 

The  ancient  Greeks  and  Romans  were  so  fully  aware 
of  the  influence  of  surroundings  on  the  unborn  children 
that  the  wives  of  the  patricians  were  surrounded  during 
pregnancy  with  the  most  beautiful  works  of  art  as  shown 
in  paintings,  sculpture,  music  and  architecture.  The 
effect  was  that  the  children  whose  mothers  were  so 


468        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

environed  were  almost  invariably  beautiful  in  features, 
and  their  minds  were  pure  and  lofty.  And  this  without 
any  regard  to  the  appearance  of  the  parents.  The  subject 
is  worthy  the  gravest  attention.  It  imposes  a  respon- 
sibility on  the  mother  that  she  will  do  well  to  rega;J. 
Many  a  mother  is  made  sad  in  her  old  age  by  the  moral 
derelictions  of  the  children  she  has  borne,  and  yet  the 
thought  never  enters  her  mind  that  she  herself  may  be 
responsible  for  the  bias  with  which  that  child's  nature 
began. 

Miscarriage. 

This  is  one  of  the  perils  of  maternity.  It  is  not  of 
infrequent  occurrence,  especially  with  young  mothers, 
though  it  is  not  confined  to  them.  It  is  not  only  to  be 
dreaded  as  involving  the  imminent  danger  of  the  mother's 
life  and  the  destruction  of  her  offspring,  but  also  as  a  most 
prolific  source  of  disease. 

Figures  have  been  gathered  regarding  the  number  of 
mothers  that  miscarry  before  they  reach  the  middle  of  their 
child-bearing  period.  It  has  been  found  that  thirty-seven 
per  cent,  miscarry  before  they  attain  the  age  of  thirty 
years,  and  that  eighty  per  cent,  of  all  the  women  miscarry 
who  continue  in  child-bearing  until  the  change  to  mature 
womanhood  comes.  From  these  figures  it  appears  that 
the  large  majority  of  all  wives  incur  this  risk  and  disaster 
at  some  time. 

Age  exerts  a  marked  influence  on  the  susceptibility  to 
miscarriage.  Should  a  woman  defer  marriage  until  she 


MISCARRIAGE.  469 

were  thirty  years  old,  she  would  be  less  liable  to  mis- 
carriage than  she  would  be  were  she  to  wait  ten  years 
longer.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing  for  a  woman  to  close 
her  menstrual  life  with  a  premature  birth.  As  women 
approach  this  period  they  also  become  more  liable  to  bear 
children  physically  weak,  perharJs  deformed,  and  intel- 
lectually defective.  Imbecility  and  idiocy  are  more 
generally  found  among  children  born  to  mothers  whose 
child-bearing  was  about  over.  It  has  been  observed  that 
the  men  of  brightest  intellects  are  first-born  children.  But 
women  are  more  liable  to  miscarry  with  their  first  child 
than  with  any  other  except  the  last. 

Miscarriage  is  most  likely  to  occur  in  the  earlier  months 
of  pregnancy.  The  first  months  cover  the  perilous  period, 
generally  speaking.  If  a  woman  miscarry  with  her  first 
child,  there  will  be  a  tendency  to  the  same  trouble  at 
about  the  same  period  in  her  next.  Cases  are  known 
where  this  has  occurred  several  times  in  succession.  When 
once  broken  up,  the  miscarriage  is  not  likely  to  return. 

The  question  may  be.  asked:  How  early  may  a  foetus 
live?  No  certain  answer  can  be  made,  but,  as  a  general 
rule,  no  child  can  live  that  is  less  than  six  months  old. 
France  had  a  law  establishing  the  legitimacy  and  legal 
rights  of  all  children  born  one  hundred  and  eighty  days 
after  marriage.  This  would  indicate  a  belief  in  the  possi- 
bility of  life  at  a  very  early  age  in  foetal  life.  There  are 
some  instances  on  record  of  infants  that  lived  though  born 
at  an  almost  incredibly  early  age.  Van  Swieten  relates 
the  very  singular  case  of  an  infant  born  the  sixth  month 


470  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

after  conception.  The  premature  birth  was  on  account  of 
a  fright  the  mother  had  at  sea.  The  child  was  about  the 
size  of  its  mother's  hand,  but  lived  to  be  over  seventy  years 
old. 

Professor  Gunning,  of  New  York,  records  the  case  of  a 
woman  in  her  fourth  confinement  who  was  delivered  of  a 
female  child  before  she  had  completed  the  sixth  month  of 
her  pregnancy.  The  child  weighed  two  pounds  nine 
ounces.  The  surface  of  the  body  was  of  a  scarlet  hue.  It 
breathed,  however,  and  a  short  time  after  birth  cried  freely. 
It  was  then  wrapped  in  cotton  wool,  well  lubricated 
with  sweet  oil,  and  was  fed  with  its  mother's  milk  by 
putting  a  few  drops  in  its  mouth  from  time  to  time. 

The  author  delivered  a  woman,  in  her  first  confinement, 
of  twins,  at  about  the  end  of  the  sixth  month  of  pregnancy. 
Neither  of  them  breathed  for  several  minutes  after  birth. 
They  were  immersed  in  a  warm  bath  for  some  time,  and, 
by  artificial  inflation  of  the  lungs,  natural  breathing  was 
eventually  established.  They  were  carefully  wrapped  in 
cotton.  One  of  them  died  in  less  than  twenty-four  hours. 
The  other  lived  and  grew  into  womanhood,  and  still  lives. 
The  child  was  not  weighed  at  birth,  but  at  the  age  of 
three  months  it  only  weighed  three  pounds. 

Miscarriage  involves  the  mother  in  greater  danger 
than  is  generally  thought  by  women.  Very  many  date 
the  failure  of  their  health  from  a  miscarriage.  Diseases  of 
the  womb  more  frequently  result  from  a  miscarriage  than 
from  a  birth  at  full  term.  Several  causes  conspire  to  lead 
to  this  unfavorable  sequel.  A  woman  is  generally  delivered 


CAUSES   OF   MISCARRIAGE.  471 

with  much  greater  difficulty  in  miscarriage.  The  mem- 
branes are  tender  and  the  placenta  small.  The  mouth  of 
the  womb  does  not  become  so  much  relaxed  as  at  full 
term.  It  therefore  sometimes  happens,  and  often,  in  fact, 
that  parts  of  the  membranes  remain  in  the  womb,  only  to 
be  cast  out  when  decomposed  and  wasted.  This  decay  of 
animal  matter  is  liable,  to  some  extent,  to  be  absorbed, 
thereby  poisoning  the  system  and  generating  disease. 

Hemorrhages,  also,  are  more  likely  to  occur  at  miscar- 
riage than  at  full  term.  The  amount  of  blood  is  not  so 
great  in  the  former  case,  and  consequently  its  loss  is  more 
severely  felt.  A  prostration  inevitably  succeeds  the  loss 
of  blood,  from  which  it  takes  the  woman  a  long  time  to 
recover.  An  additional  danger  is  to  the  womb  itself.  It 
has  adapted  itself  to  the  child,  and  to  be  suddenly  deprived 
of  this  is  a  shock  liable  to  produce  trouble  in  the  re-adjust- 
ment of  the  vital  functions.  The  loss  of  the  child  at  once 
arrests  the  processes  of  lactation.  The  menses  soon  return, 
and,  before  the  woman  has  fully  recovered  her  wasted 
strength,  she  may  be  pregnant  again. 

Causes   of    Miscarriage. 

There  are  many  causes  which  may  lead  to  miscarriage. 
Any  undue  excitement  or  irritation  of  the  rectum,  as 
hemorrhoids  or  dysentery,  if  it  produce  great  straining  at 
the  stool,  often  provokes  ?.  premature  expulsion  of  the 
child.  Excessive  indulgence  of  the  marital  privilege  may 
lead  to  the  same  result.  This  is  by  no  means  uncommon, 
especially  among  the  newly  married.  This  may  account, 


472  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

to  some  extent,  for  many  miscarriages  in  the  first  year  of 
marriage. 

Lactation  is  very  likely  to  produce  miscarriage.  A 
distinguished  observer  says  that,  in  the  analysis  of  a  large 
number  of  cases  of  women  who  conceived  during  nursing, 
miscarriage  occurred  in  seventeen  per  cent,  of  the  cases, 
and  in  only  ten  per  cent,  where  conception  occurred  at 
other  times.  On  the  strength  of  this  fact,  a  woman  who 
suspects  herself  of  being  pregnant  should  at  once  wean 
her  child. 

Any  severe  shock  to  the  nervous  system,  such  as  having 
a  tooth  extracted,  or  other  injury,  any  violent  emotion,  as 
anger,  or  joy,  is  liable  to  be  followed  by  a  miscarriage. 
Very  violent  exercise,  as  running,  dancing,  riding  horse- 
back at  a  rapid  pace,  rough  riding  in  a  -vehicle,  great 
exhaustion  from  over-exertion,  exposure  to  extreme 
weather — any  or  all  of  these  causes  —  contribute  to  the 
premature  expulsion  of  the  foetus. 

Symptoms  of    Miscarriage. 

The  premonitory  symptoms  of  miscarriage  are  few, 
but  easily  discerned.  They  are  pain  and  waste.  The 
latter  is  generally  the  indication  which  first  attracts  the 
attention  of  the  wife.  She  may  experience  no  pain  for 
several  days,  none,  indeed,  until  the  uterus  begins  to 
contract  in  its  efforts  to  free  itself  of  its  contents.  The 
waste  may  be  blood,  and  at  first  very  slight,  merely  a 
show,  and  may  continue  moderate  for  several  days.  It 
may,  however,  be  very  profuse  from  the  first,  so  much  so 


SYMPTOMS    OF   MISCARRIAGE.  473 

as  to  jeopardize  the  woman's  life.  Sooner  or  later,  the 
wasting  is  followed  by  pain,  similar  in  kind  to  the  pains 
experienced  at  mature  child-birth,  but  more  continuous 
and  more  exhausting.  There  is  a  watery  discharge  from 
the  uterus  that  is  often  the  first  indication  of  miscarriage. 
It  is  the  result  of  the  rupture  of  the  membranes  from  some 
accidental  cause,  and  the  liquor  amnii — the  watery  fluid 
in  which  the  foetus  is  suspended  —  is  escaping.  This  may 
continue  at  intervals  for  days  and  even  weeks,  and  then 
entirely  cease  without  producing  any  serious  trouble. 
Again,  it  may  be  followed  by  the  loss  of  blood,  and  event- 
ually by  the  expulsion  of  the  foetus. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  the  first  symptom  of  any 
disturbance  is  a  decided  chill,  unattended  by  any  evidence 
of  cold  or  fever.  This  is  because  of  extreme  .nervous  dis- 
turbance. In  such  cases,  the  patient  may  complain  of 
soreness,  heat  and  pain,  which  are  soon  localized  in  the 
pelvis.  The  loss  of  blood  will  follow,  though  this  maybe 
deferred  for  several  days. 

The  pain  in  miscarriage  is  variable.  It  may  arise  and 
be  almost  continuous  until  the  foetus  is  expelled.  It  may 
come  at  intervals  from  day  to  day  for  weeks.  The  inter- 
vals will  bring  such  complete  relief  that  the  woman  will  be 
deceived  into  believing  that  the  danger  of  the  miscarriage 
is  entirely  over. 

Preventive   Treatment. 

To  prevent  miscarriage  the  suggestions  offered  in  this 
book  on  the  hygiene  of  pregnancy  should  be  carefully 
observed.  Everything  should  be  done  that  can  be  to 


474  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

secure  and  maintain  a  good  condition  of  general  health. 
When  a  woman  is  threatened  with  a  miscarriage,  she 
should  at  once  take  to  her  bed  and  observe  entire  quiet. 
No  risks  should  be  taken.  Too  much  is  involved  in  the 
woman's  own  health  to  excuse  any  neglect  or  the  non-use 
of  all  precautions.  A  ten-grain  dose  of  Dover's  powder 
should  be  taken,  and  the  physician  summoned. 

Relation  of  Husband  and  Wife  During   Pregnancy. 

The  relations  of  husband  and  wife  during  pregnancy 
is  a  subject  in  which  authorities  widely  differ.  Dr. 
Napheys,  in  his  "  Physical  Life  of  Woman,"  says  : 
"  During  those  days  when  the  wife,  if  she  were  not  preg- 
nant, would  have  been  unwell,  marital  intercourse  should 
be  abstained  from.  It  is  then  injurious  to  the  mother 
and  dangerous  to  the  life  of  the  child,  as  it  is  liable  to 
excite  miscarriage.  But  if  this  habitual  epoch  of  monthly 
sickness  be  avoided,  there  is  no  reason  why  passion 
should  not  be  gratified  with  moderation  and  with  caution 
during  the  whole  period  of  pregnancy.  There  is  one 
exception  to  be  made  to  this  general  rule  of  conduct : 
In  those  cases  in  which  a  miscarriage  has  occurred  in  the 
first  pregnancy,  every  precaution  should  be  employed 
to  prevent  its  happening  again  in  the  second  concep- 
tion." 

Many  other  writers  on  the  relation  of  husband  and 
wife  during  pregnancy  express  a  different  opinion.  They 
hold  that  absolute  continence  should  be  observed  from 
the  time  that  there  is  conclusive  evidence  of  pregnancy. 


RELATION   OF   HUSBAND   AND   WIFE,    ETC.  4/5 

Among  those  advocating  this  practice  are  to  be  found 
Mrs.  Chandler,  in  her  pamphlet  entitled  "  Motherhood  "  ; 
Dr.  Cowan,  in  his  "  Science  of  a  New  Life  "  ;  Dr.  Dio 
Lewis,  in  his  work,  "  Chastity,"  and  A.  E.  Newton,  in 
his  pamphlet,  "  The  Better  Way." 

The  complete  cessation  from  marital  intercourse  is 
the  better  way.  Could  such  practice  be  followed,  in  a 
generation  or  two  it  would  evidence  its  beneficent  results 
in  a  great  physical,  mental  and  moral  improvement  in  the 
race.  The  reasons  for  this  continence  have  been  given 
elsewhere.  The  principle  of  continence  is  emphasized 
here  because  it  is  so  rarely  observed.  Perhaps,  in  most 
cases,  this  is  through  ignorance  of  the  injury  it  entails  on 
the  wife  and  child. 

It  must  be  conceded  that  it  requires  great  firmness 
and  self-denial  on  the  part  of  both  husband  and  wife  to 
preserve  even  ordinary  continence  during  this  time.  The 
temptations  to  indulgence  are  greater,  perhaps,  than  at 
other  times.  Not  a  few  persons  are  constrained  to  mod- 
eration and  carefulness  lest  too  frequent  or  undesirable 
pregnancies  result.  When  conception  is  once  known  to 
have  taken  place,  this  restraint  is  removed  and  the  natural 
inclination  is  to  unrestricted  license.  This  is  manifestly 
wrong  at  any  time,  much  more  so  at  this.  It  is  unreason- 
ing and  sensual.  It  is  degrading  marriage  to  a  level  of 
legalized  debauchery. 

Another  reason  is  found  in  the  fact  that  the  good  of 
both  wife  and  child,  especially  the  latter,  demands  that 
husband  and  wife  should  be  unusually  affectionate  toward 


4/6        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

each  other  during  gestation.  It  is  essential  that  the 
mother  maintain  a  serenity  of  mind,  but  at  the  same  time 
not  be  allowed  to  relapse  into  dullness  and  mentaj 
inactivity.  On  the  contrary,  her  mind  should  be  kept 
busily  employed  and  healthfully  stimulated.  This  will 
give  her  greater  comfort,  better  health  and  less  opportu- 
nity or  inclination  for  brooding  in  somber  melancholy  over 
her  condition  and  the  prospective  trials.  It  will,  also, 
affect  the  child  beneficially.  It  will  have  better  health,  a 
better  disposition  and  a  brighter  mind. 

It  is  readily  perceived  that  this  additional  demand  on 
the  intimate  social,  intellectual  and  affectionate  intercourse 
of  the  husband  and  wife  has  a  natural  tendency  to  stimu- 
late amorous  desires.  To  oppose  indulgence  there  must 
be  called  into  active  exercise  all  the  power  of  restraint 
possible.  The  consciousness  of  moral  right  to  indulgence 
is  also  weakening  on  the  efforts  to  resist.  Unmarried 
lovers  are  often  as  strongly  incited,  but  are  restrained  by 
virtue  and  the  moral  heinousness  of  yielding  to  desire. 
This  factor  does  not  exist  with  the  husband  and  wife.  At 
least,  it  is  not  often  thought  of. 

If  the  husband  and  wife  are  accustomed. to  sleep  in  the 
same  bed,  the  practice  ought  not  to  be  discontinued 
during  pregnancy.  It  certainly  would  aid  in  maintaining 
continence;  but  the  mother  would  be  less  likely  to  main- 
tain her  serenity  of  mind  if  a  change  in  her  habits  were 
established  now.  It  may  help  the  husband  to  restrain  his 
desires  if  he  remember  that  his  wife  has  little,  if  any, 
desire  for  sexual  congress  during  this  time. 


CONFINEMENT. 


Preparation  for  Confinement. 

THERE  are  certain  articles  of  dress  and  clothing  and 
dressings  for  the  bed  of  a  parturient  woman  that  should 
be  provided  and  be  at  hand  when  needed.  She  should 
be  provided  with  short  gowns  instead  of  those  ordinarily 
worn.  Long  gowns  are  an  incumbrance.  A  proper 
bandage  should  always  be  made  ready  for  use.  This 
should  consist  of  a  piece  of  strong  brown  muslin,  or,  what 
is  better,  union  flannel  —  that  is,  flannel  made  of  cotton 
and  wool.  It  is  better  made  of  bias  cloth,  as  it  will  fit 
much  better,  and  should  be  long  enough  to  neatly  fasten 
round  the  woman  at  the  middle  of  her  pregnancy.  Noth- 
ing is  more  annoying  than  to  find  the  bandage  very  much 
too  long  ;  it  can  never  be  neatly  adjusted.  It  should  be 
wide  enough  to  extend  from  the  pubes  to  two  inches 
above  the  navel.  It  is  always  unpleasant  and  injurious 
to  the  woman  to  have  the  band  so  wide  as  to  compress  the 
stomach.  It  should  be  gored  so  as  to  fit  over  the  upper 
part  of  the  pelvic  bones.  In  short,  the  -bandage  should 
be  so  constructed  as  to  neatly  fit  the  mother  at  the  end  of 
the  fourth  month  of  pregnancy,  and  there  will  be  no 
trouble  to  adjust  it  after  confinement.  The  object  in 

477 


4/8  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

making  the  gores  is  to  prevent  it  slipping  up  on  the  body. 

The  child's  clothing  has  been  pretty  fully  described  in 
another  part  of  this  book.  There  are  needed  a  woollen 
roller  or  binder,  five  or  six  inches  wide  and  twelve  or 
fifteen  inches  in  length,  so  as  to  cover  the  child  from  the 
lower  part  of  the  abdomen  to  the  armpits.  This  binder 
may  be  made  of  muslin  or  linen,  but  flannel  is  most  suit- 
able ;  a  shirt  of  suitable  demensions,  that  will  fit  neatly 
around  the  neck  and  sleeves,  of  good  length,  to  be  placed 
on  the  outside  of  the  binder.  The  shirt  may  be  made  of 
any  kind  of  soft  material,  but  flannel  is  best ;  if  made  of 
cotton  or  linen,  it  should  not  be  starched,  neither  should 
any  of  the  child's  underwear  ;  the  skirts  are  best  made  of 
flannel,  and  long  enough  to  extend  some  distance  below 
the  feet,  to  protect  them  from  cold  ;  the  dress  or  gown 
may  be  made  of  such  material  as  may  be  adapted  to  the 
season  of  the  year  and  the  taste  of  the  mother. 

There  should  be  a  small  roll  of  pieces  of  half-worn 
muslin  to  make  a  compress  for  the  child's  navel. 

A  couple  of  rows  of  pins  must  be  at  hand,  one  large  to 
fasten  the  mother's  binder,  and  the  other  small  to  fasten 
the  child's  clothing. 

For  the  bed  we  should  have  an  oil  or  rubber  cloth  of 
such  dimensions  as  to  cover  the  principal  part  of  the  bed  ; 
a  piece  of  fine  gum  cloth  or  oiled  silk  about  a  yard  square  ; 
two  or  three  old  comfortables,  and  as  many  old  sheets  ; 
a  roll  of  napkins,  towels,  or  pieces  of  old  muslin  ;  a  pair 
of  scissors  ;  some  linen  or  yarn  for  tying  the  navel  string, 
and  a  cake  of  fine  toilet  soap. 


THE   ROOM.  479 

All  of  these  articles  should  be  prepared  and  laid  in 
suitable  and  convenient  places,  so  as  to  be  at  easy  com- 
mand. It  frequently  happens  that  the  provision  of  these 
necessary  articles  for  the  bed,  child  and  mother  are 
deferred  until  they  are  absolutely  needed,  and  then,  in 
the  bustle  and  confusion,  nothing  can  be  found  in  proper 
time.  The  liability  to  accidents  in  child-birth  should  be 
a  sufficient  warning  to  have  everything  at  hand. 

It  is  always  best  to  give  the  physician  and  two  or  three 
lady  friends,  who  are  to  be  the  assistants,  timely  notice  of 
about  the  time  their  services  may  be  required,  so  that 
they  may  arrange  their  business  in  such  a  way  that  they 
will  probably  be  found  at  home. 

The    Room. 

The  bed-chamber  of  a  parturient  woman  should  be 
large,  so  as  to  have  plenty  of  room  for  a  fair-sized  chamber- 
set.  A  large  bed,  especially,  is  a  necessity,  that  the 
mother's  position  may  be  changed  from  one  part  of  the 
bed  to  another.  Small  beds  are  inconvenient  and  uncom- 
fortable, yet  they  are  a  necessity  in  small  bed-chambers. 
The  chamber  should  always  be  sufficiently  large  to  afford 
ample  room  for  the  chamber  furniture  and  the  attendants 
necessary  for  the  occasion.  The  room  should  be  supplied 
with  a  commodious  wash-stand,  a  large  wash-bowl,  and 
pitchers  of  water,  warm  and  cold.  The  room  should  be 
so  situated  as  not  to  be  exposed  to  the  smell  of  the 
victuals  cooking  in  the  kitchen.  This  is  very  frequently  a 
source  of  great  annoyance  to  the  sick  woman.  It  should 


480  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

be  so  located  as  to  admit  of  easy  and  thorough  ventilation 
without  exposing  the  wife  to  any  undue  current  of  air. 
Plenty  of  fresh  air  in  the  room  is  a  necessity,  but  it  should 
be  so  administered  as  not  to  unduly  expose  the  patient. 
The  room  should  be  free  from  noise,  quiet  being  a  desid- 
eratum to  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  patient.  Lying-in 
rooms  are  very  frequently  so  situated  that  the  ingress  and 
egress  to  the  house  must  be  so  near  the  room  that  the 
patient's  rest  is  continually  disturbed  by  the  noise. 

The   Bed. 

The  bed  should  have  a  good  mattress  of  hair,  wool, 
cotton  or  husks.  Straw  ticks  and  a  feather  bed  are  very 
objectionable.  The  mattress  is  to  be  covered  with  the 
oil  or  gum  cloth.  This  is  a  part  of  the  permanent  dressing, 
and  should  be  fastened  to  the  mattress,  so  as  not  to 
become  displaced.  It  should  extend  from  the  lower 
margin  of  the  bolster  to  the  foot  of  the  bed,  or  be  suffi- 
ciently large  to  protect  the  mattress  from  any  liability  to 
get  soiled.  Over  this  rubber  cloth  should  be  spread  a 
thick  comforter  or  blanket,  or  several  folds  of  sheets. 
This  or  these  should  also  be  fastened  to  the  mattress. 
Over  this  permanent  dressing  spread  the  sheet  that  regu- 
larly belongs  to  the  bed.  Next,  upon  the  side  of  the  bed 
that  it  is  designed  for  the  wife  to  lie,  which  is  generally 
the  right  side  of  the  bed  (unless  the  attendant  physician, 
on  account  of  some  physical  defects,  is  compelled  to  use 
his  left  hand),  and  over  the  bed-sheet  lay  a  neatly-folded 
sheet  with  the  edges  toward  the  foot  of  the  bed.  This 
will  complete  the  permanent  dressing  of  the  bed. 


TEMPORARY   DRESSING   OF   THE   BED.  481 


Temporary    Dressing  of    the    Bed. 

Upon  this  folded  sheet  should  be  spread  a  gum  or 
rubber  blanket,  sufficiently  large  for  the  protection  of  the 
entire  bed,  and  carefully  fastened,  that  it  may  not  get 
displaced.  Over  this  rubber  blanket  should  be  placed  a 
folded  comforter  or  other  absorbing  material,  and  above 
all  a  folded  sheet,  which  will  complete  the  temporary 
dressing  of  the  bed.  A  light,  loose  skirt,  or  a  sheet 
folded  for  that  purpose,  may  be  slipped  over  the  person 
of  the  patient,  which  will  protect  the  limbs  from  any 
exposure,  and  the  covering  of  the  bed  from  getting  soiled. 
The  chemise  should  be  fastened  up  under  the  arms  to 
protect  it  from  soiling.  The  bed-covers  should  be  light 
and  sufficiently  warm  to  suit  the  temperature  of  the 
room. 

Attendants. 

The  attendants  need  not  be  more  than  are  absolutely 
necessary  to  meet  any  possible  emergency.  It  is  well 
that  they  be  the  sick  woman's  most  intimate  friends,  in 
whom  she  has  implicit  confidence,  and  as  nearly  as  possible 
calm  and  firm,  not  excitable  and  nervous  —  who  are  not 
disposed,  should  the  labor  be  protracted,  to  assemble 
together  in  sight  of  the  patient,  and  engage  in  serious 
whisperings.  They  should  always  assume  a  cheerful 
disposition  and  an  unyielding  attitude. 


482  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 


Confinement. 

At  the  end  of  eight  and  a  half  months  the  uterus  has 
risen  to  its  highest  point.     There  will  be  a  flattening  and 
falling  of  the  abdomen  in  the  last  two  weeks  of  gestation. 
This  may  take  place  suddenly.     The  wife  may  retire  at 
night  oppressed  by  all  the  symptoms  of  pressure  on  the 
lungs  and  stomach,  and  rise  in  the  morning  entirely  free 
from  them.     She  feels  entirely  relieved,  as  if  a  great  load 
had  been  token  off  her.     The  principal  cause  of  this  sink- 
ing is  the  dropping  of  the  child's  head  into  the  pelvis.      It 
is  always  a  good  symptom,  and   is   indicative  of  a  roomy 
pelvis,  especially  in  women  with  their  first  child.     The 
woman  feels  much  better  about  the  lungs  and  stomach,  but 
there  is  an  increased  disturbance  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
abdomen.     There  is  a  feeling  of  lightness  and  buoyancy 
that  increases,  and,  a  few  days  before    the   setting  in  of 
labor,  she  feels  like  taking  an  extra  amount  of  exercise. 
This  is  especially  true  if  it  be  her  first  child,  but  the  mother 
of  children  is  acquainted  with  this  condition,  and  feels  that 
it  is  only  the  precursor  of  what  is  soon  to  follow,  and  will 
not   unduly    expose   herself,    or  undertake    an  excessive 
amount   of  exercise,    notwithstanding   she   feel    so    well. 
Another  important  symptom  of  the  approach  of  labor,  is 
the  increased  fullness  of  the  external  parts  around  the  birth- 
place, and  an  augmented  secretion  of  mucus,   which  may 
be  so  free  as  to  amount  to  a  discharge  resembling  leucor- 
rhea,  or  whites.     This  symptom  is  indicative  of  a  relaxa- 
tion of  the  parts,  which  will  facilitate  the  escape  of  the 
child's  head  and  make  labor  more  easy. 


THE  SYMPTOMS  OF  ACTUAL  LABOR.       483 

A  material  mental  change  may  be  observed,  which  is 
another  symptom  of  the  approach  of  labor.  There  is  a 
general  feeling  of  restlessness,  as  if  something  were 
wanting,  or  some  awful  calamity  were  to  befall  her.  This 
is  a  very  distressing  feeling,  and  may  last  for  several 
days. 

The   Symptoms   of  Actual    Labor. 

The  first  symptom  of  actual  labor  is  pain.  The 
patient  may  be  roused  out  of  a  sound  sleep  by  a  pain 
more  or  less  severe,  which  she  may  not  at  first  be  able  to 
locate.  She  may  attribute  it  to  an  irregular  action  of  the 
bowels  or  kidneys,  and  feel  as  if  the  use  of  the  chamber  is 
what  she  needs.  I  recall  two  instances  of  this  kind  where 
the  patients  did  not  live  over  a  stone's  cast  from  my  office. 
Neither  of  the  women  were  able  to  return  to  bed,  the 
uterus  disloading  itself  with  apparently  a  single  contrac- 
tion. Such  labors  are  amazingly  easy.  Early  in  the 
history  of  labor  there  is  what  is  called  the  "  show,"  which 
is  the  discharge  of  the  plug  of  mucus  that  occupies  the 
neck  of  the  womb  up  to  this  time.  This  mucus  is 
frequently  tinged  with  blood.  The  pain  appears  gradually 
at  intervals  in  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  at  first  a 
little  like  stomach-ache,  but  gradually  increasing  in  power 
and  frequency.  Later,  when  the  head  reaches  the  pelvis,  the 
pain  reaches  the  lower  part  of  the  back-bone.  There  is  a 
feeling  of  increased  weight  and  fullness,  with  marked  irri- 
tation of  the  bladder  and  rectum,  and  a  constant  desire  to 
go  to  stool  or  urinate.  This  depends  partly  on  pressure 


484  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

and  partly  on  sympathy,  and  ceases  as  soon  as  the  mouth 
of  the  womb  is  fully  dilated.  Nausea  and  vomiting  are 
also  often  present  at  this  stage  of  labor.  "  A  sick  labor  " 
is  said  to  be  an  easy  one.  Tremors  and  shivering  also 
often  accompany  and  are  largely  sympathetic.  They  are 
not  connected  with  cold  nor  headache.  The  face  is  pale 
and  cold.  An  author  says  that,  "  during  labor,  the  entire 
organism  stands  in  solemn  awe  to  view  the  performance, 
and  all  the  organs  send  responsive  greetings  to  the  uterus 
in  its  parturient  throes.  "  The  depression  is  physical  and 
mental,  especially  in  the  first  stage  of  labor.  Women 
generally  say  that  .it  is  impossible  for  them  to  survive. 
They  imagine  that  nothing  is  accomplished  by  their  suffer- 
ing during  the  first  stage,  and  usually  complain  more  during 
the  first  than  the  second  stage  of  labor.  The  mental 
depression  and  irritability  are  as  much  the  symptoms  of 
the  first  stage  as  are  the  physical  signs.  The  flow  of 
mucus  and  blood  increases  ;  there  should  be  just  enough 
blood  to  color  the  mucus  pink.  A  teaspoonful  of  blood  is 
alarming.  The  "  show  "  is  a  certain  sign  of  progress.  The 
pain  in  the  first  stage  of  labor  is  described  by  women  as  a 
cutting,  grinding  pain.  The  patient  feels  as  though  some 
internal  organ  or  part  were  being  rent  or  torn  asunder. 
When  the  pain  comes  on,  the  woman  ceases  her  employ- 
ment of  walking,  talking,  etc.,  bends  over,  and  a  peculiar 
expression  of  pain  comes  over  her  face.  When  the  pain 
goes  off,  she  resumes  her  former  employment.  The  effect 
of  these  pains  is  to  dilate  the  mouth  of  the  uterus.  The 
pain  is  always  characteristic  of  this  stage  of  labor.  During 


THE  SYMPTOMS  OF  ACTUAL  LABOR.       485 

the  second  stage  of  labor,  the  sound  made  by  the  patient 
is  of  a  straining,  grunting  character.  The  first  stage  of 
labor  is  long  and  uncertain,  lasting  from  two  or  three  hours 
to  as  many  days.  The  duration  of  the  first  stage  may 
differ  in  the  same  women.  In  some  women  there  is 
a  soft,  moist,  insensitive,  and  dilated  or  dilatable  os. 
This  indicates  an  easy  labor.  In  others  it  is  dry, 
sensitive  and  rigid.  This  indicates  a  tedious  labor.  What 
is  meant  by  dilation  of  the  os?  Simply  a  relaxation  and 
softening  of  the  mouth  of  the  womb  sufficient  to  let  the 
child  pass  through  it.  This  condition  is  assisted  very  much 
by  the  contraction  of  the  uterus,  forcing  down  into  the 
mouth  of  the  womb  a  membraneous  sack  filled  with  water 
(called  the  liquor  amnii),  which  acts  as  a  wedge,  holding 
open  the  os  between  the  paroxysms  of  pain.  The  rapidity 
of  the  dilatation  of  the  os  is  not  uniform.  It  generally 
takes  longer  to  dilate  it  sufficiently  to  admit  two  fingers 
than  to  accomplish  sufficient  dilatation  to  permit  the 
passage  of  the  child.  Perhaps,  as  labor  progresses,  the 
water-bag-wedge  obtains  more  power  to  'overcome  the 
contraction  of  the  sphincter  muscles  of  the  os.  Women 
with  their  first  child  usually  suffer  greater  and  longer  pain 
in  the  dilatation  of  the  os  than  they  do  with  the  birth  that 
is  to  occur  afterward.  The  bag  of  waters  is  the  prede- 
cessor of  the  child,  and,  I  have  said,  stretches  the  passage 
for  it.  This  bag  supplies  the  place  of  a  cushion  of  warm 
water,  and  by  it  the  head  of  the  child  and  its  cord  are 
saved  from  all  undue  compression.  No  matter  how  long 
the  first  stage  of  labor,  if  the  bag  of  water  be  intact,  the 


486  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

child  is  safe.  If  the  bag  be  prematurely  ruptured,  the 
labor  is  prolonged,  and  may  prove  fatal  to  the  child.  It 
sometimes  happens  that  the  membranes  are  ruptured,  and 
the  water  escapes  slowly  for  days  and  even  weeks  before 
labor  sets  in.  It  is  then  called  "  a  dry  birth."  Such 
cases  are  always  protracted,  and  labor  more  difficult. 
When  a  pain  comes,  the  walls  of  the  uterus  contract,  the 
edges  of  the  os  become  tense,  and  the  bag  of  waters 
bulges.  Then  the  pain  ceases  and  the  os  becomes  flaccid. 
The  waters  recede,  and  the  presenting  portion  of  the 
child  can  be  felt  through  the  bag.  Thus  the  bag  of 
waters  goes  on  bulging  and  retracting  till  it  bursts,  and 
from  one  to  three  pints  of  liquor  amnii  escape.  Occa- 
sionally, where  there  is  but  little  water  in  front,  the  head 
may  act  as  a  cork,  and  the  water  remains  behind  the 
child  during  the  second  stage.  In  a  typical  case,  how- 
ever, the  bag  of  waters  bursts,  the  fluid  escapes,  the  head 
comes  down,  and  the  first  stage  of  labor  ends  at  the  same 
time.  But  this  by  no  means  always  happens.  When 
the  membranes  are  thin  and  the  tissues  tough,  the  first 
symptom  of  labor  may  be  the  bursting  of  the  bag  of 
waters.  In  a  first  confinement  it  is  desirable  to  have 
the  membranes  protrude  beyond  the  vulva.  The  burst- 
ing of  the  bag  of  waters  may  alarm  a  woman  with  her 
first  child.  It  sometimes  happens  that  the  bag  of  waters 
does  not  rupture  until  after  the  head  is  born.  There 
was  a  vulgar  opinion  entertained  that  a  child  born  in  this 
•condition  would  neither  be  hung  nor  drowned. 

With  membranes  ruptured,  the  liquor  amnii  escaping 


THE  SYMPTOMS  OF  ACTUAL  LABOR.       487 

and  the  head  down  in  the  pelvis,  the  first  stage  of  labor 
closes.  After  the  rupture  of  the  water-bag  there  is  a  lull 
of  the  pain  fora  few  minutes.  Then  the  pain  is  increased, 
and  the  woman  begins  to  "bear  down."  The  bearing 
down  is  involuntary,  to  a  large  extent.  She  braces  her 
feet  and  wants  to  pull  with  her  hands.  She  takes  in  a  full 
inspiration,  fixes  her  abdominal  muscles  and  diaphragm, 
and  strains  ;  her  face  becomes  red,  her  jugulars  swell  and 
her  carotids  beat.  These  efforts  are  also  impulses  of 
nature.  When  the  straining  ceases,  the  breath  is  at  first 
rapid,  then  a  calm  ensues.  It  is  dangerous  for  a  woman 
with  lung  disease  or  heart  disease  to  strain  much,  as  hem- 
orrhage from  the  lungs  or  into  the  brain  may  result.  Such 
women  may  better  be  delivered  by  forceps.  Further  and 
further  the  head  advances  ;  the  pains  and  straining 
increase.  The  head  at  length  reaches  the  floor  of  the 
pelvis,  and  presses  on  the  sciatic  nerve,  and  this  pressure 
may  produce  a  severe  cramp  in  the  legs,  which  is  fre- 
quently the  cause  of  intense  suffering,  and  may  call  for 
delivery  by  the  forceps.  Further  and  further  the  head 
advances  ;  it  sweeps  through  the  hollow  of  the  sacrum, 
emptying  both  the  bladder  and  rectum  by  its  pressure 
upon  them  ;  it  presses  the  coccyx  or  lower  end  of  the  os 
sacrum,  the  anus  projects,  the  perineum  bulges,  the  labta 
are  stretched,  and  the  head  is  seen  at  the  mouth  of  the 
vulva.  When  a  pain  comes  on  the  head  advances.  The 
pain  goes  off  and  the  head  recedes.  It  seems  as  if  every 
pain  would  accomplish  the  delivery,  while,  in  a  primipara, 
it  may  require  one  or  two  hours  more.  In  a  first  delivery, 


488  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

when  the  head  seems  about  to  be  delivered,  a  pain  goes 
off,  the  head  recedes  almost  out  of  sight,  the  perineum 
ceases  to  bulge,  the  coccyx  returns  to  its  normal  position, 
and  it  seems  as  though  there  must  have  been  a  rupture 
of  the  uterus,  the  child  escaping  into  the  abdominal 
cavity.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case,  for  this  is 
one  of  Nature's  conservative  processes.  It  gives  the 
child  a  respite,  and  prevents  still-births,  which  would 
almost  invariably  happen  from  long  compression  of 
the  bones  of  the  head.  If  this  did  not  prove  fatal 
to  it,  it  would  die  from  suffocation.  This  is  the 
reason  why  so  many  unborn  children  die  in  cases  of 
puerperal  convulsions.  This  period  of  recuperation  is 
also  necessary  to  the  soft  parts  of  the  mother,  to  prevent 
inflammation  or  laceration  from  sudden  stretching.  After 
this  period  of  rest,  the  head  advances  and  recedes  as 
before.  Do  not  get  scared  nor  get  in  a  hurry.  Take  it 
coolly  and  wear  a  pleasant  countenance,  even  if  it  should 
take  some  time.  In  the  pain  before  the  last,  it  seems 
certain  that  the  head  will  be  born,  but  the  pain  stops  just 
short  of  accomplishing  the  work.  In  the  next  pain,  the 
woman  makes  an  extra  effort,  utters  a  significant  shriek, 
and  the  head  is  born.  Practically,  the  labor  is  finished 
when  the  head  is  born.  There  is  now  an  interval  of  rest, 
the  body  of  the  child  is  born,  the  woman  immediately 
passes  into  a  new  existence,  and  is  comparatively  comfort- 
able. She  is  surprised  and  overjoyed. 

The   third   stage   of  labor   comes    on,    which    is   the 
delivery  of  the  after-birth.     As  soon  as  the  child   is  born 


THE  SYMPTOMS  OF  ACTUAL  LABOR.       489 

the  uterus  begins  to  shrink  very  rapidly.  The  placenta 
does  not  shrink,  but  separates  from  the  uterus.  The 
placenta  (after-birth)  falls  to  the  mouth  of  the  womb  and 
causes  reflex  contractions.  After  expulsion  of  the 
placenta  the  uterus  keeps  on  shrinking.  This  shrinkage 
compresses  the  uterine  blood-vessels,  and  prevents  free 
hemorrhage.  If  the  placenta  be  attached  to  the  fundus  of 
the  uterus,  it  falls  into  the  mouth  of  the  womb  and  pre- 
vents the  escape  of  blood  till  after  the  expulsion  of  the 
placenta,  when  a  quantity  of  coagulated  blood  will  follow. 
If  the  placenta  be  attached  to  the  sides  of  the  uterus,  it 
will  fall  down  edgewise,  and  the  blood  will  continue  to 
escape  during  the  third  stage  of  labor.  The  separation  of 
the  placenta  from  the  uterus  begins  with  the  first  labor 
pain. 

If  the  connection  be  weak  there  may  be  accidental 
hemorrhage  at  the  first  pain.  If  there  be  abnormally  firm 
adhesions,  it  is  not  spontaneously  detached.  In  such 
situations  the  uterus  may  shrink  and  the  placenta  be 
separated  before  the  head  is  born,  and  hemorrhage  may 
result.  The  placenta  may  remain  in  the  walls  of  the 
vagina  for  hours.  We  might  trust  the  expulsion  of  the 
placenta  to  the  efforts  of  Nature,  as  many  suggest,  but  I 
think  it  best  not  to  do  so,  unless  .Nature  act  speedily. 
There  may  be  reasons  why  it  should  not  be  done.  The 
woman  is  wet,  soiled  and  unhappy  till  the  placenta  is 
removed.  I  rarely  wait  longer  on  the  efforts  of  Nature 
alone  than  ten  to  thirty  minutes.  If  the  hand  be  applied 
to  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  a  hard  tremor  will  be 


490        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

felt  through  the  abdominal  walls  ;  if  it  be  not,  then  grasp 
with  both  hands  deep  down  into  the  abdomen,  and  excite 
through  manipulations  its  contraction.  Continue  this 
process  until  you  feel  the  uterus  as  a  hard,  globular  mass  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen.  There  are  two  methods 
practiced  for  the  expulsion  of  the  placenta.  Pass  your 
finger  along  the  cord  until  you  feel  the  placenta  in  the 
mouth  of  the  womb  or  upper  part  of  the  vagina.  Seize 
the  cord  with  one  hand  ;  pass  two  fingers  of  the  other 
hand,  one  on  either  side  of  the  cord,  into  the  vagina. 
With  these  two  fingers  as  a  pulley,  make  gentle  tension  on 
the  cord  with  the  other  hand  back  toward  the  spine.  Do 
not  pull  the  cord  forward  toward  the  pubes.  Pull  gently, 
that  you  may  not  detach  the  cord  from  the  placenta. 
Should  such  an  accident  occur,  grasp  the  placenta  with 
the  fingers,  and  encourage  its  expulsion.  As  soon  as  the 
placenta  is  fairly  in  the  hands,  commence  turning  it  round 
so  as  to  form  a  cord  out  of  the  membranes  ;  this  will  insure 
their  entire  detachment  and  delivery. 

The  other  method  of  delivering  the  placenta  is  to 
grasp  the  uterus  with  both  hands  through  the  abdominal 
walls  and  squeeze  and  press  it  in  every  direction  toward 
the  centre.  You  can  feel  it  shrinking  from  a  large  mass  to 
one  not  much  larger  than  a  fist.  This  is  perhaps  the  best 
method,  especially  for  the  inexperienced.  Do  not  push 
the  uterus  downward,  but  squeeze  it.  It  will  expel  the 
placental  membranes  and  usually  the  clots.  There  is 
always  the  loss  of  more  or  less  blood  during  this  stage  of 
labor,  usually  not  to  exceed  a  half-pint. 


ATTENTION   TO   BE   GIVEN   MOTHER   AND    CHILD. 


I  have  gone  over  the  several  steps  in  what  is  called  a 
typical  case  of  child-birth. 

Some  Attention  That  Should  Be  Given  the   Mother  and 

Child. 

There  is  little  to  be  done  during  the  first  stage  of 
labor.  An  examination  of  the  uterus  through  the  vagina 
with  the  finger  is  necessary  ;  first,  to  ascertain  if  the 
woman  be  in  actual  labor  ;  second,  if  so,  to  see  what  is  the 
condition  of  the  os  —  if  it  be  dilated  or  dilatable,  to  see  what 
is  the  presentation  —  that  is,  the  position  of  the  child 
relative  to  the  size  and  condition  of  the  passage.  This 
examination  should  continue  long  enough  to  examine  all 
the  soft  and  hard  parts  of  the  pelvis.  It  is  often  necessary 
to  occasionally  repeat  the  examination.  The  woman 
should  not  be  especially  restrained  during  the  first  stage  of 
labor,  but  may  be  permitted  to  do  very  much  as  she 
pleases,  and  eat  and  drink  as  is  her  custom  —  unless  she 
be  fleshy  ;  in  such  case,  feed  her  lightly.  Usually  a 
woman  does  not  want  to  eat  much.  In  the  first  stage  of 
labor,  at  least,  a  woman  ought  not  to  take  alcoholic  stimu- 
lants. Ordinarily,  I  never  give  them  in  any  stage  of 
labor.  If  the  woman  be  nauseated  to  such  extent  as 
to  prevent  the  pains,  give  her  some  nerve  stimulant,  as 
peppermint,  lavender,  sweet  spirits  of  nitre,  or  a  cup  of 
strong  coffee  or  tea.  If  she  have  extreme  rigors,  give 
Hoffman's  anodyne. 

So  soon  as  the  os  is  dilated  to  the  size  of  a  silver  dollar, 
put  the  woman  to  bed  ;  otherwise,  if  you  permit  her  to  be 


492  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

up,  an  accident  might  occur,  and  the  child  be  born  while 
she  is  on  her  feet.  The  bed  I  have  already  described  and 
prepared.  During  the  first  stage  of  labor  the  uterus  does 
everything.  Sometimes  the  os  is  soft  and  freely  dilatable, 
but  there  is  no  pain,  or  there  may  have  been  some  pain, 
but  it  has  ceased.  Introduce  your  finger  into  the  os  through 
the  vagina,  and  manipulate  it  ;  at  the  same  time  with  the 
other  hand  gently  manipulate  the  bowels.  Continue  this 
procedure  for  half  an  hour,  and,  nine  times  out  often,  you 
will  have  produced  very  satisfactory  labor.  Some  recom- 
mend the  administration  of  ergot,  but  I  very  rarely  use  it, 
generally  succeeding  well  by  the  method  referred  to.  You 
should  be  very  careful  never  to  rupture  the  bag  of  waters 
in  a  woman  with  her  first  child.  Allow  the  waters,  by 
their  moisture  and  heat,  to  thoroughly  relax  the  soft  parts 
of  the  passage.  In  the  first  part  of  the  second  stage  of 
labor  you  may  encourage  the  woman  to  bear  down.  In 
the  latter  part  she  needs  no  such  encouragement,  as  there 
is  sufficient  inclination,  and  she  may  injure  herself  if  she 
make  too  severe  effort.  When  the  head  appears  at  the 
vulva,  or  external  opening  into  the  vagina,  and  the  head 
is  pressing  against  the  perenium,  it  should  be  supported, 
to  regulate  the  rapidity  of  the  passage  of  the  head,  and 
prevent  the  rupture  of  the  thin  tissues.  The  perineum 
should  be  carefully  watched.  Its  rupture  is  a  serious  acci- 
dent. Place  two  fingers  of  the  one  hand  on  the  perineum 
and  two  fingers  of  the  other  hand  on  the  child's  head,  and 
make  gentle  passive  support  to  the  extent  of  a  few  ounces. 
Use  the  bare  fingers,  and  not  a  towel  or  napkin,  for  by  it 


ATTENTION   TO    BE   GIVEN   MOTHER   AND    CHILD.      493 

you  remove  the  lubricating  material.  The  fingers  should 
be  thoroughly  covered  with  lard.  It  will  sometimes  be 
necessary,  if  the  parts  appear  dry,  to  lubricate  them  with 
lard  during  the  interval  of  pain.  A  pain  comes  on,  the 
head  does  not  advance,  the  woman  cries  out  and  stops 
straining  ;  she  should  then  be  encouraged  to  strain. 

As  soon  as  the  head  has  been  born,  find  if  the  cord  be 
wound  around  its  neck  ;  if  so,  remove  it  at  once,  or  it 
may  kill  the  child.  This  is  done  by  pulling  on  the  free 
end  of  the  cord,  and  slipping  the  noose  over  its  head.  If 
you  cannot  succeed  in  getting  the  child's  head  through 
the  cord,  you  may  cut  it.  It  may  be  necessary,  in  such 
cases,  to  deliver  the  child  at  once,  and,  if  there  be  no 
pain,  which  sometimes  happens,  you  may  be  tempted  to 
pull  on  the  child's  head.  This  should  be  avoided,  lest 
you  dislocate  the  cervical  vertebra.  Press  freely  on  and 
rub  the  abdomen  ;  tell  the  woman  to  strain  ;  tell  her  if 
she  do  not,  the  child  will  die.  Support  the  child's  head  ; 
with  a  cloth  wound  around  your  index  finger,  cleanse  its 
mouth,  and  with  a  towel  wipe  off  its  face  and  prevent  the 
fluids  from  running  into  its  throat.  The  child  is  now 
born.  Place  it  on  its  side  with  its  face  from  the  maternal 
organs,  that  it  may  not  be  suffocated  by  discharges. 
Instantly  place  your  hand  upon  the  naked  abdomen  of  the 
woman  ;  make  friction  and  pressure  until  the  flabby 
uterus  becomes  firm  and  hard.  The  danger  is  from  hem- 
orrhage and  convulsions.  As  soon  as  the  child  breathes 
and  shows  signs  of  vigor,  tie  the  cord  from  two  to  two  and 
one-half  inches  from  the  infant's  body  first ;  then  again 


494  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

two  inches  farther,  and,  with  a  sharp  pair  of  scissors, 
divide  the  cord  between  the  two  ligatures.  Wrap  the 
child  in  a  warm,  soft  blanket  and  hand  to  the  nurse. 
Place  the  mother  on  her  back  ;  in  the  meantime,  keep  a 
careful  watch  over  her,  and  allow  her  to  rest  ten  minutes. 
See  that  the  uterus  is  contracting  ;  have  the  attendant 
keep  her  hand  on  the  bowels,  making  pressure  upon  the 
uterus,  that  the  after-birth  may  be  expelled.  I  have 
given  directions  for  its  proper  delivery. 

Have  the  nurse,  or  do  it  yourself,  wash  the  vulva  and 
thighs  in  tepid  water  and  soap,  and  clean  things  up  gen- 
erally. But  do  not  fatigue  the  woman  with  over- 
attention.  The  whole  toilet  should  not  occupy  more  than 
five  minutes. 

Now  apply  the  binder.  The  directions  for  making  it 
have  been  already  given.  The  binder  is  to  make  constant 
pressure  upon  the  uterus,  compress  the  blood-vessels  and 
support  the  abdominal  muscles.  It  preserves  the  woman's 
shape,  to  which  desideratum  no  woman  is  indifferent. 
Before  applying  the  binder,  see  that  the  uterus  is  well 
contracted.  Place  a  compress  over  the  uterus,  underneath 
the  binder.  The  binder  should  extend  from  the  false  ribs 
to  the  pubes.  Pin  it  as  tight  as  will  be  admitted  by  the 
patient  ;  it  will  soon  get  loose.  Put  in  six  or  eight  pins, 
and  see  that  they  are  not  left  in  position  to  injure  the 
patient.  Now  bring  the  woman  to  the  head  of  the  bed, 
but  do  not  let  her  move,  or  make  any  effort  at  all.  Apply 
a  large  napkin  below  the  vulva  to  catch  the  waste.  Now 
make  the  woman  comfortable,  covering  her  with  blankets 
adapted  to  the  temperature  of  the  weather. 


HEMORRHAGES.  495 

Hemorrhages. 

Accidental  hemorrhage  occurs  from  detachment  of  an 
abnormally-situated  placenta.  Inmost  cases  it  takes  place 
during  the  latter  months  of  pregnancy,  or  during  labor. 
During  the  last  three  months  hemorrhage  sometimes  comes 
on  suddenly,  without  any  apparent  cause,  especially  in 
cases  of  placenta  prcevia,  that  is,  where  the  placenta  leads 
the  way,  or  occupies  the  lower  end  of  the  uterus  below 
the  child.  In  many  cases  the  hemorrhage  ceases  spon- 
taneously. It  may  come  on  in  large  quantities  or  it  may 
be  continual  —  called  slow  hemorrhage.  There  may  be 
no  bleeding  until  labor  comes  on,  when  a  sudden  rush  of 
blood  may  prove  fatal.  In  some  cases  of  placenta  pravia, 
the  os  dilates  freely,  the  placenta  is  spontaneously  thrown 
into  the  vagina,  and  labor  goes  on  safely  for  the  mother, 
but  the  child  is  still-born.  This,  however,  is  quite  rare. 
This  is  an  important  crisis,  and  ignorance  or  timidity  may 
cause  the  death  of  the  parent.  During  the  last  three 
months  the  best  treatment  for  accidental  hemorrhage  and 
placenta  prcevia  is  rest  in  bed  ;  elevation  of  the  hips  ;  sup- 
positories of  opium  and  belladonna  of  one  grain  each  ; 
cold  cloths  to  the  lower  part  of  the  abdomen  and  vulva ;  if 
the  woman  be  cold,  use  hot  applications  ;  if  the  hemorrhage 
do  not  cease  or  be  quite  free,  tampon  the  vagina. 

Hemorrhage   After    Delivery. 

This  is  the  most  formidable  complication  of  labor,  and 
gives  no  time  for  dallying  ;  you  must  act  at  once.     The 


49^  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

attack  is  swift  and  unexpected.  It  frequently  occurs,  and 
you  should  ever  be  on  the  watch.  If  you  have  fully 
followed  the  directions  given  to  contract  the  uterus  you 
will  rarely  have  any  trouble.  I  have  long  been  in  the 
practice  of  obstetrics  and  have  had  but  one  case  give  me 
any  serious  trouble,  that  was  the  premature  birth  of  a 
child.  Through  over-attention  to  the  offspring,  I  neglected 
to  see  to  the  proper  contraction  of  the  uterus,  to  which 
cause  I  attributed  the  subsequent  hemorrhage. 

The  premonitions  of  hemorrhage  after  delivery  are  a 
flaccid  uterus,  pallor,  quick,  fluttering,  feeble  pulse, 
vertigo,  dimness  of  vision,  faintness,  yawning  and  gaping, 
which  should  be  particularly  noted.  Fainting  is  itself 
dangerous  from  the  liability  to  produce  heart-clot. 
Locally  is  seen  the  rush  of  blood.  The  hemorrhage  may 
be  concealed  on  account  of  a  clot  of  blood  in  the  os,  or 
from  its  being  corked  up  by  the  placenta  or  tampon.  In 
such  cases  the  uterus  fills  with  blood  before  you  are 
aware.  The  preventive  treatment  is  by  manipulations,  to 
stimulate  the  uterus  to  contract.  Come  down  on  it  with 
both  hands,  force  contraction,  and  rid  yourself  of  further 
trouble. 

The  medication  is  ergot.  Give  a  teaspoonful  of  the 
fluid  extract  every  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes.  Empty  the 
uterus  of  its  contents,  placenta,  membranes  and  clots.  If 
the  uterus  do  not  contract,  introduce  the  hand  into  the 
uterus,  and  at  the  same  time  manipulate  externally.  This 
will  nearly  always  cause  contraction.  If  it  do  not,  apply 
cold  water,  which  produces  contraction  by  shock,  and  if  at 


TREATMENT   OF   PLACENTA   PR^EVIA.  497 

all,  it  will-do  it  immediately.  It  should  not  be  tried  more 
than  five  minutes.  If  these  means  fail,  dip  a  clean  rag 
into  vinegar,  introduce  it  into  the  uterus,  and  squeeze  it 
out.  Vinegar  excites  extreme  contraction  (is  styptic),  is 
not  dangerous  and  is  always  at  hand.  Sucking  the 
breast,  either  by  the  child  or  other  means,  frequently  aids 
contractions.  If  the  patient  "be  faint  and  feeble,  give 
stimulants.  Aromatic  spirits  of  ammonia,  Hoffman's 
anodyne,  or  ether.  Keep  the  head  lower  than  the  body. 
Give  salty  food,  animal  broths,  essence  of  beef,  wine, 
whey,  meat  soups,  milk,  or  raw  eggs.  Quiet  the  nerves 
by  opium  and  bromide. 

Treatment  of    Placenta    Praevia. 

When  labor  has  come  and  you  have  hemorrhage  from 
placenta  frcsvia,  the  treatment  will  depend  upon  the 
presentation  of  the  placenta.  In  complete  placenta 
prcevia  the  best  treatment  is  to  tampon  with  soft  rags 
until  the  os  is  dilated  or  dilatable,  and  then  turn  the  child 
and  deliver  it  by  the  feet.  Watch  carefully  the  progress 
of  the  dilatation,  and  lose  no  time  unless  the  hemorrhage 
is  slight  ;  if  it  be  severe  and  dangerous,  introduce  your 
hand  before  complete  dilatation,  rupture  the  membranes, 
seize  the  feet  and  deliver  as  speedily  as  possible.  In 
general,  the  child  is  not  hard  to  turn,  as  the  loss  of  blood 
renders  the  uterus  weak  and  non-resistant  to  the  hand. 
Separate  the  placenta  at  one  side  to  permit  the  entrance 
of  the  hand.  Carefully  examine  as  to  where  it  be  least 
attached,  and  then  peal  it  off.  You  do  this  by  pushing 


498  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

your  finger  in  at  different  points,  ascertaining  where 
entrance  is  easiest.  If  the  patient  be  weak,  give  stimulants 
and  ergot.  Give  a  full  dose  of  laudanum.  Lose  no  time. 
The  patient's  life  is  at  stake.  If  she  faint  she  will 
probably  die. 

In  partial  placenta  pravia,  the  danger  is  not  nearly  so 
great.  Rupture  the  membranes  early,  and  this  may  suffice 
to  arrest  the  hemorrhage  by  compressing  the  vessels.  If 
not,  tampon  the  uterus,  wait  for  dilatation,  and  turn  by 
the  feet. 

Shoulder  presentations  or  trunk  presentation  will 
always  require  interference  and  version,  that  is,  turning 
the  child  so  as  to  bring  the  feet  down.  Version  is  the 
great  operation  in  manual  assistance.  When  you  have 
determined  that  version  is  a  necessity,  either  for  the  safety 
of  child  or  mother,  inform  the  patient.  Place  the  patient 
upon  the  edge  of  the  bed  with  her  feet  resting  upon 
chairs.  Let  the  assistant  support  her  legs  and  control  her 
movement  so  that  there  will  be  no  muscular  effort  on  her 
part.  Spread  out  a  cloth  upon  the  floor  under  the  bed  to 
protect  the  carpet  ;  roll  up  your  sleeves  and  protect  your 
clothing.  In  shoulder  presentations  use  that  hand  which 
corresponds  with  the  shoulder  presenting  —  right  hand  for 
right  shoulder,  and  left  for  left  shoulder. 

Conditions  for  Performing  Version. 

The  os  uteri  must  be  dilated  or  dilatable.  The  pre- 
senting part  must  have  passed  the  mouth  of  the  uterus. 
Version  is  comparatively  easy  if  the  liquor  amnii  be  yet 


CONDITIONS    FOR    PERFORMING   VERSION.  499 

retained,  but  very  difficult  and  sometimes  impossible  after 
it  has  been  lost.  All  manipulations  in  version  except 
extraction  must  be  done  in  the  absence  of  pain.  Insert 
your  hand  gently,  and,  if  pain  comes  on,  wait  until  it 
ceases,  making  pressure  downward  and  backward.  Do 
not  burst  the  bag  of  waters  until  you  get  the  hand  well 
into  the  uterus.  If  the  head  be  in  the  road  push  it  to  one 
side  and  explore  for  the  feet.  Having  found  the  feet, 
rupture  the  water  bag  and  turn  the  child.  All  this  must 
be  done  in  the  absence  of  pain  —  that  is,  between  the 
paroxysms  of  pain.  Having  brought  the  feet  down,  keep 
one  hand  on  the  abdomen,  and  see  that  the  uterus  is 
contracting.  Do  not  hurry  now,  unless  there  is  accidental 
hemorrhage.  After  the  child  has  been  born  as  far  as  the 
navel,  carry  the  body  up  and  get  the  arms  down.  Better 
to  bring  the  arm  down  first  that  can  be  most  easily  done, 
which  is  the  posterior,  or  the  one  next  to  the  back  of 
the  mother.  Be  careful  you  do  not  break  the  bones  — 
they  are  tender.  Having  disengaged  the  arms,  the  child 
will  rotate  with  its  breast  looking  to  the  back  of  the 
mother.  Insert  your  finger  along  the  breast  of  the  child 
and  carry  it  up  until  you  reach  the  child's  mouth,  and  pull 
the  chin  down  against  the  breast,  at  the  same  time  elevat- 
ing the  body  of  the  child.  Make  pressure  upon  the 
abdomen,  and  labor  will  speedily  be  accomplished. 

Face  presentations  cannot  be  born  save  by  version  or 
turning  the  child.  There  are  many  other  positions,  but 
only  two  methods  of  delivery — one  in  which  the  present- 
ing part  is  the  vertex,  or  one  that  may  be  converted  into 


500        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

such  position  ;  the  other  by  the  feet,  or  one  that  may  be 
converted  into  that  position. 

The  child  should  be  washed.  It  may  be  covered  with 
a  tenacious  white  coat  (especially  is  this  coat  to  be  found 
in  the  creases  of  the  body),  which  protects  it  in  the  uterus. 
To  remove  this  sebacious  matter,  rub  the  child  thoroughly 
with  lard,  as  has  been  directed  in  another  part  of  this 
work,  wipe  off  with  a  soft  cloth,  and  wash  with  castile 
soap.  To  dress  the  cord,  cut  a  hole  in  a  double  fold  of 
old  muslin  six  or  eight  inches  long  and  four  wide,  about 
two  inches  from  the  end  ;  make  the  hole  to  suit  the  size  of 
the  cord  ;  pass  the  cord  through  the  hole  and  envelop  in  a 
piece  of  muslin  ;  lay  it  with  the  cord  directed  toward  the 
long  end  of  the  dressing,  fold  it  back  over  the  end  of  the 
cord,  and  apply  the  bandage  or  roller,  which  consists  of  a 
piece  of  flannel,  as  before  directed,  wide  enough  to 
extend  from  the  arm-pits  to  the  hips,  and  sufficiently  long 
to  go  twice  around  the  body  ;  pin  it  or  sew  it  on  smoothly 
and  let  it  remain  for  from  five  to  eight  days,  when  the 
navel  cord  will  come  off,  and  ordinarily  heal  up  without 
any  interference.  If  not,  a  weak  astringent  solution  of 
the  sulphate  of  copper  or  zinc  should  be  applied  to  stimu- 
late the  parts.  The  child  may  be  put  to  the  breast  soon 
after  birth.  This  course  is  often  necessary  to  stimulate 
the  uterus  to  contraction.  Do  not  begin  to  pour  teas  into 
it.  They  are  hurtful  to  the  child.  Full  directions  for  the 
future  care  of  the  child  will  be  found  in  our  first  chapter 
on  infancy 


THE   MOTHER. 


,Her    Responsibility. 

THERE  is  no  more  sacredly-blessed  moment  in  the  life 
of  a  woman  than  that  in  which  is  placed  in  her  arms  her 
first-born  child.  In  her  heart  is  born  a  new  love,  a  new 
devotion,  a  new  solicitude  which  every  succeeding  day 
will  confirm,  deepen  and  strengthen.  When  she  looks 
upon  the  little,  helpless  being,  so  lately  a  part  of  herself, 
and  realizes  that  it  is  in  very  truth  her  own  —  hers  and  his 
to  whom  she  has  given  her  life  on  earth  —  a  flood  of  tender- 
ness rushes  into  her  heart  that  no  other  earthly  bliss  can 
equal.  Recognizing,  too,  that  a  new  soul  is  now  launched 
into  independent  existence,  whose  life  must  go  on  and  on 
while  eternity  endures,  an  awe  profound  and  sacred  falls 
upon  her,  subduing  her  soul  into  quiet.  If  she  be  a 
mother  whose  heart  the  Creator  has  touched,  she  will  feel 
the  strong  impulse  to  solemnly  dedicate  the  new  soul  to 
the  service  of  the  Being  whose  gift  it  is,  and  to  pour  out 
her  own  soul,  asking  for  life,  health,  strength  and  wisdom 
to  mature,  guard  and  train  her  child  through  all  the 
uncertain  ways  of  life.  The  mother's  feelings  at  such  a 
moment  cannot  be  described.  To  herself  they  are  not 
susceptible  of  analysis.  Complex  emotions  fill  her  bosom. 

501 


5O2        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

One  moment  she  is  buoyed  up  by  the  rush  of  tenderness 
that  sweeps  in  upon  her.  At  the  next  she  sinks  under 
the  sense  of  responsibility  which  her  new  relation  entails 
upon  her.  The  future  looms  up  before  her  as  a  sealed 
book.  What  it  holds  in  store  for  her  babe  she  cannot 
know.  She  knows  that  other  children,  as  innocent,  as 

deeply  loved,   as    her  own   little  one,   have    grown    into 

f 
deformed  moral  natures.     Perhaps  it  may  be  so  with  her 

own  blessed  babe.     Who  can  tell  ? 

"  The  Father  hath  willed  it  so, 

That  mortals  may  never  know 
Whether  there  lies  in  the  future  years 
A  grave  of  hopes  to  be  wet  with  tears, 

A  palace  of  joy  or  woe  ; 
Lest  feet  should  falter  and  hearts  grow  faint, 

He  knew  it  was  better  so. " 

The  mother  will  find  herself  exhausted  and  weak  when 
she  is  delivered  of  her  child.  While  the  attendants  are 
looking  after  the  child,  the  mother  must  not  be  neglected. 
She  should  be  at  once  drawn  up  in  bed,  her  limbs  cleansed 
with  tepid  water,  thoroughly  dried,  and  all  the  temporary 
dressing  removed.  She  should  then  be  allowed  to  rest. 
She  will  require  an  additional  covering  to  guard  against 
contracting  cold.  The  labors  of  childbirth  have  caused 
the  mother  to  perspire  freely,  and  the  pores  of  the  skin 
are  all  open.  A  chill  is  invited,  and  proper  caution  is 
required  to  prevent  it.  A  chill  or  protracted  cold  is  to  be 
avoided  strenuously,  as  it  is  liable  to  result  seriously. 
For  this  reason  it  is  suggested  that  as  soon  as  possible  the 
mother  be  allowed  to  repose  quietly,  carefully  covered. 
A  reaction  will  come  soon,  however,  and  the  superfluous 

rK"j 


HER   RESPONSIBILITY.  503 

clothing  must  be  removed,  lest  such  profuse  perspiration 
be  started  as  will  be  difficult  to  check.  The  patient  should, 
if  possible,  be  kept  warm  enough  for  comfort,  but  not 
warm  enough  to  cause  perspiration. 

The  room  should  be  darkened  and  all  company 
excluded.  One  careful,  experienced  attendant  only  should 
remain,  so  that  in  case  anything  be  needed  by  the  patient 
it  can  be  attended  to  promptly.  The  presence  of  a  trust- 
worthy nurse  will  serve  to  tranquilize  the  mind  of  the 
mother  and  enable  her  to  secure  the  quiet  and  repose  she 
so  much  needs. 

Flooding,  or  convulsions,  are  not  infrequent  conse- 
quences of  child-birth.  Either  of  these  is  of  such  grave 
importance  that  means  for  its  prompt  arrest  should  be  at 
hand,  and  at  once  employed,  lest  the  life  be  imperiled.  A 
single  attendant  is  better  than  two  or  more,  as  conversa- 
tion is  likely  to  be  indulged  and  disturb  the  patient  so  as 
to  prevent  her  getting  that  rest  which  she  so  much  needs 
to  restore  the  exhausted  condition  of  the  system  resulting 
from  the  excessive  efforts  in  the  work  of  delivery.  Sleep 
is  Nature's  great  restorer,  and  she  should  be  allowed  to 
enjoy  it  for  several  hours  to  recover  the  lost  forces  of  the 
system. 

Putting  the   Child   to    Breast. 

When  she  has  had  a  good  nap,  the  child  is  to  be  put 
to  the  breast.  This  will  be  advantageous  to  both  mother 
and  child.  The  secretions  in  the  breasts  at  the  time  of 
delivery  are  well  adapted  to  meet  the  condition  of  the 


504        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

child's  bowels.  The  bowels  of  the  newly-born  infant  are 
loaded  with  secretions  that  have  accumulated  during  the 
latter  months  of  pregnancy.  The  bowels  require  some- 
thing of  a  cathartic  nature  which  will  stimulate  the  stomach 
and  liver,  and  unload  this  effete  accumulation.  Applying 
the  child  to  the  breast  stimulates  contraction  of  the  uterus, 
and  thereby  secures  the  mother  against  the  danger  of 
flooding.  It  is  also  a  great  benefit  to  the  breast  itself,  by 
relieving  the  milk  vessels  of  a  thick  and  heavy  secretion 
that,  if  left,  would  interfere  seriously  with  the  free  passage 
of  the  milk,  which  usually  sets  in  about  the  third  day.  The 
accumulated  secretions  of  the  breasts  will  generally  meet 
the  wants  of  the  child  until  the  time  for  the  mammary 
supply  is  established. 

The  mother  may  turn  on  either  side  and  receive  the 
child  upon  the  arm  of  the  side  upon  which  she  is  lying. 
If  the  nipple  be  not  sufficiently  developed  to  enable  the 
newly-born  babe  to  grasp  it  in  its  mouth,  the  difficulty 
may  be  thus  overcome  :  Get  a  pint  flask,  fill  it  with  hot 
water,  empty  it,  plunge  the  neck  into  cold  water  that  it 
may  not  burn  the  breast,  and  then  place  the  mouth  of  the 
bottle  immediately  over  the  nipple.  The  air  that  was 
expanded  by  the  heat  contracts  upon  cooling,  forming  a 
vacuum  into  which  the  nipple  is  drawn,  and  it  will  accom- 
modate itself  to  the  form  and  size  of  the  mouth  of  the 
flask.  The  bottle,  upon  cooling,  should  be  removed,  and 
the  child  applied  to  the  breast  while  the  nipple  is  suf- 
ficiently prominent  to  be  easily  grasped  by  the  child.  This 
simple  device,  if  properly  used,  and  repeated  each  time 


HER    RESPONSIBILITY.  505 

that  it  is  necessary  to  give  the  child  the  breast,  would 
overcome  all  retraction  of  the  nipple,  resulting  from  a 
shortened  condition  of  the  milk-vessels,  or,  as  is  frequently 
the  case,  a  want  of  proper  development  of  the  nipple. 
These  directions  must  be  vigorously  followed  before  the 
time  for  the  full  flow  of  milk  ;  if  the  breast  be  permitted 
to  fill  up,  the  extreme  distention  of  the  gland  will  gather 
up  the  tissues  out  of  which  the  nipple  is  formed,  and  the 
breast  will  become  round  and  smooth  as  an  apple,  and 
all  efforts  to  develop  the  nipple  will  be  fruitless  until  the 
extreme  flow  of  milk  subsides.  By  this  time  the  breasts 
will  be  inflamed  from  over-distention  of  the  milk  vessels, 
and  an  abscess  will  be  the  result. 

The  patient  having  enjoyed  a  good  nap,  and  the  imme- 
diate wants  of  the  child  being  met  by  application  to  the 
breasts,  it  will  be  important,  in  order  to  better  stimulate 
the  exhausted  system  of  the  patient,  to  provide  her  with  a 
cup  of  coffee  or  tea,  according  to  her  fancy,  and  a  slice  of 
toast  or  some  palatable  food.  The  old-fashioned  custom 
of  furnishing  a  bowl  of  "  bread-soup"  for  the  sick  woman 
at  this  time  is  not  at  all  objectionable,  being  both  appro- 
priate and  palatable.  A  slice  of  bread  is  broken  in  a  bowl 
and  covered  with  hot  water,  to  which  are  added  a  little 
sugar,  some  spice  to  suit  the  taste  of  the  patient,  and  a 
teaspoonful  or  two  of  brandy,  which  makes  it  still  more 
palatable.  Care  should  be  taken,  however,  that  no  more 
spirits  be  added  than  may  be  necessary  as  a  slightly  stimu- 
lating condiment,  lest  the  patient  be  over-stimulated,  and 
injured  rather  than  benefited  by  the  addition. 


506  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Cleanliness,  always  essential  in  sickness,  is  peculiarly 
so  in  this  case.  Every  few  hours  —  from  four  to  six  —  a 
soft  napkin  wet  in  warm  water,  to  which  may  be  added  a 
little  mild  soap,  should  be  passed  under  the  bed-covers, 
that  the  patient's  person  be  not  unduly  exposed,  and  the 
soiled  parts  well  cleansed  from  the  effects  of  the  waste  that 
is  going  on  from  the  uterus.  After  each  washing,  wipe 
the  parts  dry  without  producing  more  friction  than  may 
be  necessary  to  the  accomplishment  of  the  work.  The 
application  of  a  weak  solution  of  bay  rum,  say  one  part 
rum  and  two  of  water,  to  which  might  be  added  a  few 
drops  of  carbolic  acid,  after  each  washing,  will  be  followed 
by  beneficial  results  in  overcoming  any  tendency  to  blood- 
poisoning.  The  napkin  that  is  intended  to  absorb  the 
discharge  from  the  uterus  should  not  remain  so  long  as  to 
become  saturated  and  rendered  not  only  unpleasant  but 
dangerous. 

The  recumbent  position  for  the  mother  should  be  most 
rigidly  enjoined  for  several  days,  even  in  the  most  favorable 
circumstances.  Her  shoulders  must  be  kept  in  bed.  In 
taking  her  nourishment  she  may  turn  upon  her  side,  so  as 
to  be  able,  if  necessary,  to  feed  herself.  It  is  better,  at 
least  until  she  recovers  from  her  exhaustion,  that  she  be 
fed  by  the  nurse  or  other  attendant.  When  it  becomes 
necessary  to  empty  the  bladder,  she  should  be  required  to 
turn  over  upon  her  face,  and  raise  upon  her  knees  and 
elbows,  when  the  chamber  can  be  conveniently  passed  in 
front  and  used  without  elevating  the  shoulders  above  the 
hips,  thus  avoiding  an  erect  position,  which  is  so  objection- 
able close  after  delivery. 


CHANGING   THE    CLOTHING.  507 


Changing  the    Clothing. 

If  the  directions  in  regard  to  the  care  of  the  chemise 
and  night-gown  have  been  carefully  observed,  there  will 
be  no  necessity  for  changing  them  for  four  or  five  days. 
If,  however,  from  any  accident  they  should  become  soiled, 
it  may  be  necessary  to  do  it  sooner.  Great  care  should 
be  observed  that  the  patient  be  not  permitted  to  lie  in 
stained  and  unhealthy  clothing,  because  it  not  only 
becomes  dry  and  hard,  rendering  it  very  uncomfortable, 
but  from  the  warmth  of  the  body  there  will  arise  a  very 
unpleasant  and  dangerous  odor,  poisoning  the  atmosphere 
of  the  room  and  engendering  disease.  The  clothing 
should  be  changed  without  either  uncovering  the  person 
or  raising  the  body  from  the  bed.  Unbutton  the  bed- 
gown and  chemise  in  front  and  withdraw  the  arms  from 
the  sleeves  of  the  garments,  when  they  can  be  cast  down 
over  the  body,  and  taken  out  at  the  feet,  as  it  is  neither 
pleasant  nor  proper  to  take  them  off  at  the  pillow.  To 
put  on  the  chemise  pass  her  arms  through  from  the  lower 
end  of  the  skirt  into  the  sleeves,  shove  them  over  the  arm 
until  they  reach  the  shoulder,  then  throw  the  body  of  the 
garment  over  the  head  and,  without  lifting  the  shoulders 
from  the  bed,  draw  it  down  under  the  body  so  far  as  the 
hips  only,  to  prevent  it  from  becoming  soiled.  The  bed- 
gown should  be  put  on  in  the  same  manner. 


508  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 


Preparation  to  Leave  the  Bed. 

The  time  when  a  lying-in  woman  should  leave  her  bed 
cannot  be  definitely  fixed  by  any  specific  number  of  days. 
There  is  an  old  dictum,  and  one  that  is  oft-repeated:  "  She 
must  not  get  up  until  the  ninth  day."  It  has  been  bred 
into  the  practice  of  some  localities  to  such  immoderate 
extent  that  many  believe  there  is  some  unusual  virtue  in 
the  ninth  day.  Hence,  most  women  expect  to  be  per- 
mitted to  rise  at  this  time,  if  not  sooner.  There  should, 
however,  be  no  fixed  rule  about  leaving  the  bed  which 
does  not  take  into  account  the  peculiar  circumstances 
attending  each  particular  case. 

At  one  confinement  a  woman  may  be  in  as  good  con- 
dition to  sit  up  at  the  end  of  the  fifth  day  as  she  would  be 
at  another  at  the  end  of  the  fifteenth  day.  The  same 
variety  of  conditions  will  be  witnessed  among  different 
women.  To  keep  the  bed  until  after  the  ninth  day  is  a 
safe  rule  in  normal  child-bed  convalescence,  but  when  there 
may  have  existed  some  abnormal  condition,  as  lacerated 
wounds,  which  must  be  healed  by  granulations,  a  much 
longer  period  will  be  necessary. 

In  an  American  journal  of  recent  date,  a  distinguished 
obstetrician  expresses  his  conviction  that  the  upright  and 
sitting  posture  ought  to  be  carefully  avoided  until  involu- 
tion (the  act  of  rolling  up)  has  proceeded  so  far  that  the 
uterus  has  receded  from  the  inferior  wall  of  the  abdomen 
and  returned  to  the  pelvic  cavity.  The  observance  of  this 
rule,  which  is  a  very  good  one,  would  allow  one  woman 


LAXATIVE   FOR    MOVING   THE   BOWELS.  509 

to  sit  up  in  a  week,  while  another  would  be  kept  in  bed 
two  weeks  or  even  longer.  The  absence  or  presence  of 
the  lochia,  or  discharges,  should  be  an  index  of  the  ability 
to  get  out  of  bed.  If  still  present,  they  should  serve  as  a 
warning  against  a  return  to  the  upright  posture. 

Great  care  is  therefore  necessary.  It  is  better  to 
remain  a  few  days  unnecessarily  than  to  risk  health  by  a 
premature  adventure.  Let  the  first  attempt  at  getting  up 
be  largely  experimental,  and  do  not  experiment  too 
freely.  The  resumption  of  household  duties  should  be 
postponed  until  the  patient  can  walk  about  without  fatigue 
or  backache.  When  the  abdominal  walls  are  relaxed 
—  that  is,  loose  and  flabby  —  a  well-fitting  bandage  should 
be  worn  for  weeks  or  months  after  delivery,  or  until  the 
parts  resume  their  normal  condition. 

Laxative  fop    Moving  the    Bowels. 

Upon  the  administration  of  cathartic  remedies  after 
delivery  there  has  been  promulgated  by  writers  a  vast 
difference  of  opinion.  The  author  has  all  his  life  adopted 
the  practice,  if  the  bowels  are  not  moved  normally,  which 
is  rarely  the  case,  of  insuring  a  full  and  free  evacuation  of 
their  contents.  Very  few  women  escape  costiveness  dur- 
ing most  of  the  period  of  pregnancy.  There  is  especially 
an  accumulation  of  fecal  matter  during  the  last  weeks  of 
pregnancy  that  is  ofren  enormously  large,  and  it  frequently 
contributes  to  puerperal  affections.  The  means  to  be 
adopted  for  unloading  the  bowels  must  be  selected  with 
an  appropriateness  suited  to  each  particular  case. 


510        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

Some  women,  to  produce  a  free  and  adequate  move- 
ment of  the  bowels,  will  require  nothing  more  than  an 
injection  of  a  quantity  of  soapsuds,  with,  may  be,  the 
addition  of  a  little  olive  oil.  In  others  the  object  can  be 
better  accomplished  by  the  administration  of  some  mild 
laxative,  such  as  castor  oil,  compound  rhubarb  pills,  or 
the  compound  licorice  powder.  Sometimes  it  may  be 
necessary  to  administer  a  full  dose  of  calomel  or  the  com- 
pound salts  and  senna.  Bear  in  mind  that  a  full  and  free 
emptying  of  the  bowels  is  a  necessity,  and  must  be  accom- 
plished. When  there  are  severe  colic  pains,  castor  oil, 
combined  with  15  to  20  drops  of  laudanum,  will  be  found 
quite  serviceable.  In  the  hemorrhoids  that  frequently 
trouble  women  after  delivery  and  during  convalescence,  the 
administration  of  half-grain  doses  of  aloes  night  and 
morning  will  be  found  a  specific. 

Fresh    Air. 

An  important  factor  in  the  hygiene  of  a  lying-in  sick- 
room consists  in  an  abundant  supply  of  fresh,  pure  air. 
The  air  of  sick-rooms  is  generally  vitiated  by  the  abundant 
exhalations  from  the  body,  and  emanations  from  the  dis- 
charged secretions.  Physiologists  now  declare  that  infec- 
tions have  their  source  largely  from  emanations.  Those 
ordinary  agents  that  purify  the  air  are  rarely  found  in  the 
atmosphere  of  a  sick-room.  The  plausible  theory  is  that 
ozone,  the  great  renovator  of  the  air,  is  not  found  free  in 
the  sick-chamber  —  that  it  is  all  taken  up  in  the  oxidation 
of  the  atmosphere.  If  the  theory  be  not  correct,  why  is 


FRESH    AIR.  511 

it  that,  while  none  is  found  in  foul  atmospheres  or  those 
tainted  with  exhalations  of  swampy  grounds,  there  is  an 
abundant  supply  of  it  in  pure  air? 

The  directions  for  the  bed-chamber  of  a  parturient 
woman  have  been  fully  described  in  another  part  of  this 
work.  See  to  it  that  the  avenues  for  the  introduction  of 
fresh  air  be  now  utilized,  and  that  the  patient  do  not  suffer 
from  the  impurities  incident  upon  the  condition  of  her 
person,  by  the  neglect  to  use  the  instrumentalities  at 
command  for  the  complete  renovation  of  the  atmosphere 
in  the  bed-chamber. 

It  is  only  a  few  days  since  that  the  writer  had  occasion 
to  observe  a  vivid  illustration  of  what  is  here  meant.  A 
woman  was  put  to  bed  in  a  room  well  adapted  to  meet  all 
the  requirements  of  a  suitable  lying-in  chamber.  Before 
his  leaving,  explicit  directions  were  given  by  the  physician 
for  the  application  of  all  the  means  at  command  for  the 
patient's  comfort  and  speedy  restoration.  In  a  second 
visit,  which  had  to  be  deferred  for  two  or  three  days,  it 
was  found  that  the  ventilators  ostensibly  were  opened,  but 
virtually  closed.  Though  the  ventilator  was  open,  it  was 
covered  by  the  blind,  and  over  that  was  suspended  a 
curtain,  which  as  much  obstructed  the  free  ingress  and 
egress  of  the  air  as  if  the  ventilator  had  been  closed.  All 
this  was  being  done  lest  the  patient,  who  was  found 
wasting  with  the  heat,  should  have  a  chill. 

No  better  means  could  have  been  adopted  to  secure 
this  much-dreaded  condition.  The  impure  air  that  she 
must  necessarily  be  compelled  to  breathe  did  tend  to  load 


512  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

the  blood  with  impurities,  which  would  result  in  fever, 
inflammation,  or  some  agent  equally  destructive  to  the 
physical  economy. 

Locate  the  bed  in  such  a  position  in  the  room  that  it 
will  not  be  exposed  to  any  direct  current,  then  open  up 
the  avenues  for  ventilation,  and  wash  out  the  room 
thoroughly  with  fresh  air.  Nothing  will  conduce  more  to 
a  satisfactory  convalescence. 

Clothing. 

The  covering  of  the  bed  ought  to  be  adapted  to  the 
season  of  the  year  and  the  temperature  of  the  room. 
More  harm  is  done  by  keeping  the  patient  too  warm  than 
too  cold.  The  coverings  of  sick  persons  should  combine 
lightness,  warmth  and  porosity.  Persons  who  are  sick 
and  weak  are  greatly  exhausted  by  a  weight  of  clothing, 
and  yet  the  covering  must  be  sufficient  to  keep  in  the  animal 
heat  of  the  body.  Blankets  better  meet  the  requirement 
of  bed-covering  for  the  sick  than  any  other  article.  They 
are  light,  porous  and  warm.  There  should  always  be  an 
extra  cover  at  hand  that  may  be  used  at  any  time  the 
patient  should  feel  a  little  cold,  especially  at  such  times  as 
the  room  is  being  subjected  to  a  thorough  ventilation. 

Whenever  the  sheets  or  any  of  the  appendages 
belonging  to  the  bed  become  soiled  they  should  be 
exchanged  for  clean  ones.  Nothing  contributes  more 
than  this  to  the  health  and  comfort  of  the  patient.  Great 
care  is  necessary  to  see  that  the  clean  articles  of  clothing 
be  thoroughly  dry.  Hang  them  where  they  will  be 


DRESSING   THE   HAIR.  513 

exposed  for  several  hours,  either  to  the  heat  of  the  fire  or 
the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  to  insure  the  evaporation  of  all 
moisture  that  might  be  in  them.  To  supply  the  bed  with 
clean  linen,  roll  the  patient  to  the  back  part,  fold  the  sheet 
now  on  the  bed,  that  is  to  be  removed,  close  up  to  her 
person.  Fold  the  one-half  of  the  clean  sheet  and  lay  it 
also  close  to  the  person  of  the  patient,  spreading  the  other 
half  of  it  over  the  exposed  part  of  the  mattress  from  which 
the  soiled  sheet  has  been  removed.  Above  the  sheet 
adjust  any  additional  dressing  that  may  be  necessary  to 
better  protect  the  bed  and  turn  the  patient  over  on  it,  the 
soiled  sheet  will  then  be  easily  removed  and  replaced  by 
the  unfolding  of  the  clean  sheet.  This  changing  of  the 
bed  should  be  done  as  frequently  as  may  be  necessary  to 
observe  strict  cleanliness. 

Dressing  the  Hair. 

The  condition  of  the  hair  of  parturient  women  has  been 
a  source  of  great  annoyance.  There  has  long  existed  a 
prevalent  belief  that  puerperal  women  should  not  have 
their  hair  combed,  because  making  such  part  of  the  toilet 
was  sure  to  be  followed  with  a  "  back-set."  This  is  neither 
supported  by  reason  nor  by  experience.  It  would  be  quite 
out  of  propriety  to  allow  the  sick  woman  to  undergo  the 
labor  and  fatigue  of  dressing  her  own  hair,  but  there  can 
be  no  plausible  objection  sustained  against  having  it  done 
at  least  once  a  day  by  the  nurse  or  some  friend  who  may 
be  competent  to  the  task.  To  allow  the  hair  to  remain 
unkempt  till  after  the  ninth  day,  because  of  the  foolish 


514        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

and  unsupported  notion  that  combing  it  would  result  in 
injury  to  the  patient,  is  simply  barbarous.  It  savors  too 
much  of  the  days  of  witch-craft  to  be  at  all  tolerated  in 
the  last  years  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

The  hair  has  been  by  all  nations  regarded  as  an  orna- 
ment, and  nothing  contributes  more  to  the  personal 
appearance  of  a  woman  than  its  proper  arrangement, 
whether  she  be  lying  upon  a  sick  bed  or  seated  in  the 
parlor. 

There  is  no  good  reason  for  revolutionizing  the  cus- 
toms of  parturient  women  in  any  direction,  but  every- 
thing should  be  done  with  prudence  and  judgment. 
Combing  the  hair,  washing  the  face  and  hands,  bathing 
the  person,  eating,  drinking,  etc.,  should  proceed  with 
the  same  degree  of  regularity  as  if  she  were  in  health. 

Food. 

The  diet  should  be  selected  with  reference  to  the 
requirements  of  the  patient.  During  the  first  two  or 
three  days  the  patient,  as  a  rule,  is  thirsty,  and  does  not 
have  much  desire  for  solid  food.  To  somewhat  overcome 
this  tendency  of  thirst,  her  food  should  consist  of  gruel, 
milk,  milk-toast,  tea,  coffee,  soup,  to  which  may  be  added 
rice,  or  any  food  that  contains  plenty  of  fluids.  While  it 
is  desirable  on  the  one  hand  to  avoid  exciting  colics  and 
catarrhal  affections  of  the  stomach  by  a  too-early  return 
to  solid  food,  yet  it  is  equally  important,  on  the  other 
hand,  to  remember  that  the  speedy  establishment  of  an 
abundant  supply  of  milk  secretion  is  likely  to  be  hindered 
by  subjecting  the  patient  to  semi-starvation. 


DIRECTIONS   FOR    NURSING.  $15 

It  is  seldom  that  any  serious  consequences  result  by 
allowing  the  patient  to  continue  to  use  the  food  to  which 
she  has  been  accustomed  previous  to  confinement,  except 
that  meat  should  be  restricted  for  several  days,  or  until 
after  the  bowels  have  been  moved  and  the  free  secretion 
of  milk  established.  All  easily-digested  articles  of  food, 
such  as  soft-boiled  eggs,  chicken  broth,  wild  meats, 
squirrel,  birds,  steak,  chops,  etc.,  according  to  the  taste  of 
the  patient,  should  be  allowed.  The  food  should  be 
selected  with  adaptability  to  the  condition  of  the  bowels. 
There  is  usually  a  tendency  to  constipation,  which  may 
to  some  extent  be  overcome  by  the  use  of  porridge  made 
om  unbolted  flour,  cracked  wheat,  and  cooked  fruits, 
r  any  ordinary  diet  that  "has  a  laxative  effect  upon 
the  bowels.  On  the  other  hand  (as  is  rarely  the 
case),  if  the  bowels  should  be  too  loose,  such  food 
should  be  selected  as  may  be  adapted  to  this  condition. 
Let  the  food,  as  much  as  possible,  regulate  the  bowels, 
that  cathartic  medicines  may  be  avoided. 

Directions  for  Nursing. 

Every  healthy  woman  should  nurse  her  own  child, 
especially  during  the  puerperal  period.  Convalescence 
is  best  accomplished  where  the  mother  is  qualified  to 
nurse  the  child,  and  it  is  a  duty  that  every  mother  owes 
to  her  offspring.  Some  women  have  a  distaste  for  nurs- 
ing, and  positively  refuse  to  do  so,  on  account  of  the 
trouble  and  confinement  that  is  necessarily  imposed. 
They  forget  that  there  is  a  moral  obligation  resting  upon 


516  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

them,  growing  out  of  the  relations  that  exist  between 
themselves  and  their  children.  It  is  beyond  all  question 
the  duty  of  the  mother  to  allow  her  offspring  to  partake 
of  the  nourishment  Nature  has  provided  by  the  maternal 
organs,  if  neither  her  own  health  nor  that  of  her  child  is  to 
be  sacrificed  by  such  lacteal  alimentation.  It  will  result  in 
equal  advantage  to  both  motherand  child.  It  isNature's  pro 
vision  for  the  sustenance  and  development  of  the  infant. 
The  mother  is  likewise  benefited  by  the  drawing  away  of 
the  lacteal  fluids.  Inflammation  and  ulceration  of  the 
glands  of  the  breast  are  obviated.  The  uterine  organ  is 
thereby  stimulated,  and  the  drain  upon  the  pelvic  cavity 
encouraged,  thus  relieving  the  congestion  resulting  from 
the  delivery.  Serious  diseases  of  the  female  organs, 
which  might  necessarily  result  from  the  failure  of  the 
mother  to  submit  to  a  provision  of  Nature  for  her  rapid 
and  permanent  restoration,  are  by  this  natural  process 
avoided. 

Dr.  Ramsbotham,  in  his  celebrated  work  on  midwifery, 
speaking  of  this  subject,  remarks  :  "  The  mother  should 
forget  the  pleasures  of  society,  give  up  the  necessity  of 
appearing  in  public,  and  waive  even  the  etiquette  of  court, 
if  these  pleasures  or  that  etiquette  interfere  in  any  material 
degree  with  her  duties  to  her  infant.  I  cannot  allow  that 
a  physician  would  be  honestly  and  conscientiously  fulfill- 
ing the  trust  reposed  in  him  who  did  not,  even  in  the 
highest  grade  of  society,  point  out  the  dangers  that  may 
spring  from  this  most  natural  and  engaging  employment 
being  abandoned  ;  and  I  would  always  think  better  of  a 


DIRECTIONS    FOR   NURSING.  5  I/ 

woman's  feelings,  both  toward  her  husband  and  infant, 
who  gave  her  child  the  advantage  of  her  own  breast." 

However,  the  advisability  of  continuing  lactation  after 
she  is  up  and  able  to  attend  to  her  household  duties  must 
depend  upon  the  question  whether  or  not  the  mother  is  in 
position  to  make  the  necessary  sacrifices  to  the  interest  of 
the  child.  When  the  domestic  and  social  demands  upon 
her  time  and  thoughts  are  numerous  and  pressing,  lacta- 
tion is  apt  to  be  imperfect,  and  the  child  will  not  thrive. 
In  such  cases  humanity  requires  that  the  child  should  be 
surrendered  to  a  wet-nurse.  When  her  health  is  such  as 
to  make  it  imprudent,  both  for  her  own  Oood  and  that  of 
her  child,  it  would  be  proper  and  right  to  have  it  nourished 
.in  some  other  way.  Nursing  is  sometimes  rendered 
impossible  by  lack  of  milk,  or  by  flattened  or  misshapen 
nipples.  Such  diseases  as  scrofula,  consumption,  epilepsy, 
and  syphilis  contracted  shortly  before  the  birth  of  the 
child,  will  be  reason  sufficient  to  bar  the  mother  from  the 
fulfillment  of  this  maternal  obligation. 

As  is  elsewhere  remarked,  the  child  should  be  applied 
to  the  breast  within  a  few  hours  after  delivery.  Soon 
after  birth  the  child  seizes  the  nipple  eagerly,  and  though 
the  quantity  of  nourishment  be  small,  it  is  vastly  better 
adapted  to  the  child's  needs  than  the  catnip  teas,  sugar 
and  water  that  motherly  nurses  are  so  desirous  to  give  as 
substitutes.  Do  not  forget  that  the  early  application  of 
the  child  to  the  breast  is  a  great  benefit  to  the  mother, 
by  promoting  the  contractions  of  the  uterus,  and  by  lessen- 
ing that  painful  distention  of  the  breasts  which  occurs  at 


5l8  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

the   time   when   the  function  of  lactation   is  fully  estab- 
lished. 

No  infallible  rule  can  be  laid  down  in  regard  to  the 
frequency  with  which  the  child  should  be  placed  to  the 
breast.  But  it  is  best  for  the  child  and  much  more  con- 
venient for  the  mother  to  adopt  some  system.  So  long 
as  the  baby's  stomach  is  small  in  capacity,  and  more  or  less 
of  the  food  is  regurgitated,  the  interval  should  not  exceed 
two  or  three  hours.  But  from  an  early  period  the  mother 
should  observe  regularity  in  time,  and  gradually  increase 
the  interval,  that  the  child  may  have  sufficient  sleep,  and 
the  mother  a  better  opportunity  to  recuperate  her  strength. 
The  breasts  should  be  sucked  in  alternation,  and  the 
nipples  carefully  washed,  both  before  and  after  nursing, 
with  a  little  water  ;  what  is  better,  is  the  addition  of  car- 
bolic acid.  The  extreme  sensitiveness  of  the  nipple  at  the 
commencing  of  lactation  maybe  greatly  relieved  by  apply- 
ing constantly  a  cloth  wet  with  a  solution  of  sugar  of  lead, 
ten  or  fifteen  grains  to  a  glass  of  water.  The  wearing  of 
shields  will  be  found  a  great  comfort,  preventing  the  rub- 
bing of  the  night-dress  or  bedclothes  against  the  tender 
organs. 

How   to    Prevent   Deformities. 

In  the  country,  and  among  the  common  people  v  MO 
are  in  limited  circumstances,  it  is  quite  common  for  the 
husband,  wife  and  child  to  sleep  in  the  same  bed  during 
most  of  the  period  of  lactation.  For  the  better  accomo- 
dation  and  safety  of  the  child  it  occupies  a  position  in  the 


HOW   TO    PREVENT   DEFORMITIES.  519 

bed  at  the  side  of  the  mother  the  farthest  from  the  husband. 
In  this  position  it  frequently  lies  all  night  on  the  arm  of 
the  mother,  and  a  great  deal  of  the  time  at  her  breast. 
The  bones  of  the  head  and  face  of  the  infant  are  at  first 
quite  soft  and  readily  yield  to  surrounding  influences. 
Being  for  a  length  of  time  permitted  to  repose  in  this  same 
position,  the  soft  bones  of  the  head  yield  to  the  constant 
pressure,  and  the  result  is  that  one  side  of  the  head  and 
face  flatten.  The  contour  of  the  head  loses  its  symmetry, 
and  the  child's  head  and  face  are  deformed. 

This  same  result  occurs  with  mothers  who,  from 
accident,  only  nurse  from  one  breast.  The  child  is  com- 
pelled to  lie  all  the  time  in  the  same  position.  The  writer 
was  recently  called  to  see  a  child  deformed  in  this  way, 
and  said  to  the  mother  :  "  You  sleep  all  night  with  your 
child  on  your  right  arm  ?  "  She  replied  with  some  sur- 
prise that  she  did,  but  wished  to  know  how  I  knew  this. 
I  pointed  out  the  deformed  condition  of  the  child's  head 
as  the  grounds  up©n  which  the  query  were  based.  The 
mother  further  said  that,  during  the  daytime,  when  she 
put  the  child  to  sleep  in  its  crib,  she  would  sometimes  lay 
it  on  the  left  side.  When  this  were  done,  asleep  or  awake, 
it  would  turn  over.  It  had  so  acquired  the  habit  of  lying 
upon  the  right  side  that  it  was  comfortable  in  no  other 
position.  In  the  case  in  hand,  the  flattening  of  the  bones 
of  the  head  and  face  was  so  decided  that  there  was  scarce 
a  possibility  that  the  deformity  could  be  removed. 
Mothers  should  accustom  their  children  to  changes  of 
position  in  sleep,  moving  them  from  one  side  to  the  other, 
and  thus  avoid  causing  this  deformity. 


520        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 


Influence  of  Diet  on  the  Mother's   Milk. 

That  diet  produces  a  change  in  the  chemical  constitu- 
ents of  the  milk  in  the  human  family  as  well  as  that  of 
the  lower  order  of  animals,  is  a  truism  of  which  not  only 
every  physiologist,  but  every  mother  who  has  any 
experience  in  nursing  children  or  the  care  of  a  household, 
is  well  aware.  Farmers'  wives  know  quite  well  from 
observation  the  effect  certain  kinds  of  food  have  upon  the 
milk  of  cows.  Even  a  bitter,  unpalatable  taste  is  given 
to  milk  from  cows  feeding  upon  certain  plants.  It  is 
manifest  that  mothers'  milk  would  be  subject  to  the.  same 
influence.  It  is  quite  evident  that  diseases  of  "children 
are  often  produced  by  the  impure  or  innutritive  state  of 
the  mother's  milk,  even  in  cases  where  no  such  deteriora- 
tion of  the  milk  is  suspected,  the  health  of  the  mother 
being  apparently  unimpaired. 

M.  Girard  has  published  a  very  interesting  paper  on 
this  subject,  in  which  he  points  out  the  importance  of 
testing  the  character  of  the  milk  by  microscopic  examina- 
tion in  all  cases  in  which  the  infant,  when  nourished  solely 
by  the  breast,  becomes  affected  by  symptoms  of  indiges- 
tion. Condie,  in  his  work  on  diseases  of  children,  says  : 
"  Every  physiologist  is  aware  of  the  change  produced  in 
the  properties  of  the  mother's  milk,  by  the  nature,  as  well 
as  by  the  quantity,  of  the  food  habitually  taken.  Too 
much  or  too  little  food,  a  too  stimulating  diet,  the  use  of 
vinous  or  distilled  liquors,  more  especially  if  taken  in 
excess,  and  articles  of  food  of  difficult  digestion,  cannot 


INFLUENCE  OF  PREGNANCY.  521 

fail  to  affect  the  secretion  of  milk,  and  render  the  latter 
unfit  for  the  nourishment  of  the  infant  who  partakes  of  it. 
Milk  thus  deteriorated  will  very  generally  produce  irrita- 
tion of  the  infant's  stomach  and  all  the  symptoms  of 
indigestion." 

From  the  opinions  of  these  very  high  authorities,  as 
well  as  many  others  that  might  be  quoted,  it  is  patent  that 
great  care  should  be  observed  by  the  mother  in  the  choice 
of  her  diet,  that  her  infant  child  be  properly  nourished, 
and  that  the  nourishment  be  pure  and  free  from  anything 
that  would  derange  the  digestive  organs  and  thereby 
induce  serious  disease.  A  single  dish  of  greens,  or  cab- 
bage, or  even  a  cup  of  buttermilk  has  been  known  to  so 
affect  the  milk  of  the  mother  that  her  babe  would  be 
attacked  with  colic.  This  infantile  affliction  can  quite 
frequently  be  traced  to  some  indiscretion  of  the  mother's 
diet.  The  retention  of  milk  in  the  breasts  alters  its  char- 
acter and  makes  it  poorer.  Knowledge  of  this  may  enable 
mothers  to  accommodate  the  strength  of  the  milk  to  the 
power  of  the  child's  digestion.  If  the  child's  stomach  be 
weak,  and  the  quality  of  the  milk  too  rich,  it  may  be 
retained  in  the  breast  long  enough  to  accommodate  its 
quality  to  the  ability  of  the  child's  stomach  to  digest  it. 
On  the  other  hand,  if  the  milk  be  poor  in  quality,  the  child 
should  be  applied  to  the  breast  more  frequently. 

• 

Influence   of   Pregnancy. 

Pregnancy  during  the  nursing  period,  especially  after 
the  first  two  or  three  months,  has  always  been  set  down 
as  producing  an  alteration  in  the  milk  of  the  mother. 


522        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

rendering  it  unwholesome  for  the  child.  During  the  first 
three  months  of  pregnancy  no  particular  change  occurs  in 
the  milk.  At  a  later  period,  however,  it  is  probable  that 
the  safety  of  the  mother,  as  well  as  the  health  of  the  child 
at  the  breast,  will  require  the  latter  to  be  weaned.  If  the 
child  be  too  young  for  other  food,  the  milk  of  a  healthy 
nurse  or  that  obtained  from  a  cow  must  be  substituted  for 
that  of  the  mother.  It  is  true  that  infants  have  been  kept 
at  the  breast  until  a  later  period  of  pregnancy,  or  even  to 
its  termination,  without  apparent  injury.  In  other  cases, 
according  to  Dr.  Dewess,  so  great  a  deterioration  of  the 
milk  occurred  as  to  require  that  the  child  should  be  taken 
from  the  breast  at  a  very  early  period. 

The  following  rules  should  generally  be  observed  :  As 
soon  as  a  nursing  woman  is  fully  aware  that  she  is  preg- 
nant she  should  realize  that  her  own  safety,  as  well  as  the 

» 
health  of  her  nursing  child,  depends  upon  an  immediate 

removal  of  the  child  from  the  breast. 

Influence   of    Menstruation. 

The  occurrence  of  the  menstrual  discharge  is  generally 
enumerated  among  the  causes  of  a  deterioration  of  the 
milk,  and  is  calculated  to  produce  serious  injury  to  the 
infant.  When  menstruation  is  suspended  during  the  first 
eight  or  nine  months  subsequent  to  parturition,  and  then 
reappears,  there,  will  very  commonly  be  found  to  take 
place  a  diminution  in  the  supply,  and  a  decided  change  in 
the  properties  of  the  milk.  The  child  will  very  generally 
suffer  if  it  be  continued  at  the  breast.  It  is  by  no  means 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE   MIND    ON   THE   MILK.  523 

established  that  every  occurrence  of  the  menses  during 
lactation  is  calculated  to  produce  similar  effects  upon  the 
milk.  Cases  are  known  of  several  women  who  menstru- 
ated regularly  during  the  entire  period  of  suckling,  and 
their  infants  throve  equally  well  with  those  of  mothers 
in  whom  the  menses  were  suspended. 

From  a  series  of  observations  made  by  Rasciborski  it 
has  been  ascertained  that  the  health  of  infants  nursed  by 
menstruating  females  suffers  no  kind  of  injury.  If,  how- 
ever, upon  the  appearance  at  any  time  of  the  menses,  the 
milk  be  found  to  disagree  with  the  child  at  the  breast,  it 
will  be  prudent  to  cease  suckling  it,  so  long,  at  least,  as 
the  discharge  may  continue. 

Influence   of  the    Mind   on   the   Milk. 

Intense  grief,  mental  anxiety,  paroxysms  of  passion, 
or  any  long-continued  or  violent  emotions  of  the  mind, 
are,  unquestionably,  causes  of  considerable  deterioration 
in  the  milk.  Severe  infantile  vomitings,  or  even  general 
convulsions,  have  been  known  to  result  from  applying  the 
child  to  the  breast  immediately  after  the  nurse  had  experi- 
enced any  intense  mental  excitement  —  whether  of  an 
exhilarating  or  depressing  character.  It  is  a  general 
remark  that  children  nursed  by  females  who  are  laboring 
under  intense  grief  or  mental  anxiety  of  any  kind  seldom 
thrive. 

There  are  to  be  met  plenty  of  cases  of  this  kind,  where 
the  safety  of  the  child  requires  it  to  be  taken  from  the 
mother's  breast,  and  where  every  symptom  of  disease 


524  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

ceases  soon  after  furnishing  it  with  the  breast-milk  of  a 
healthy  nurse.  It  is  no  uncommon  occurrence  for  the 
secretion  of  milk  to  almost  entirely  stop  upon  some  undue 
excitement  of  the  nervous  system.  The  fear  of  the 
mother,  excited  on  account  of  some  severe  illness  of  the 
child,  will  check  the  flow  of  milk,  which  will  not  return 
until  the  mind  is  at  rest,  or  with  the  restoration  of  the 
child  to  health. 

Qualifications  of    a  Good    Nurse. 

One  among  the  first  considerations  in  determining  a 
good  nurse  is  to  know  that  she  is  well-bred  and  free  from 
any  taint  of  blood  that  could  be  transmitted  to  her  child 
through  the  channel  of  lactation.  The  health  and  future 
development  of  a  child  depend  in  a  large  measure  upon 
the  strength  and  purity  of  the  nourishment  that  it  receives. 
The  nurse  should  have  a  vigorous  constitution,  robust  and 
strong,  without  being  corpulent.  Such  persons  have  a 
good  appetite  and  healthy  digestion.  Their  breasts  should 
be  well  developed,  and  owe  their  size  not  to  fat  but  to  the 
number  and  size  of  their  blood-vessels  and  milk-ducts. 
The  breasts  should  be  pear-shaped,  and  not  flat,  with 
superficial  veins  well  marked,  instead  of  being  covered  up 
with  excessive  fat.  Such  nurses  do  not  experience  a 
feeling  of  fatigue  or  exhaustion  from  lactation.  The 
nutriment  which  they  receive  is  equally  expended  to 
support  their  own  person  and  that  of  their  child. 

While  some  mothers  have  all  these  qualities,  and  experi- 
ence no  decline  in  either  their  health  or  ability  to  perform 


WET-NURSING. 


their  household  duties,  there  are  others  who,  though  they 
cannot  show  all  the  characteristics  here  detailed  in  defining 
a  good  nurse,  yet  may  be  equally  good.  There  are 
mothers  whose  general  physical  qualities  are  good,  who 
have  small  breasts,  which  cannot  contain  a  great  quantity 
of  milk  at  one  time,  yet  those  mothers  furnish  an  abundant 
supply,  as  is  evidenced  from  the  appearance  of  their  nurs- 
ing children.  Such  persons'  breast-glands  secrete  milk 
rapidly,  and  require  the  stimulus  of  the  child  sucking  to 
put  them  into  exercise.  There  are  other  mothers  who 
furnish  an  abundant  supply  of  good  healthy  milk  and  nurse 
their  children  well,  but  do  it  at  the  expense  of  their  own 
physical  being.  A  large  proportion  of  their  own  nutri- 
ment is  consumed  in  manufacturing  the  nourishment  for 
the  child.  They  themselves  lose  flesh  and  become  weak 
and  feeble,  because,  as  they  affirm,  "  all  they  eat  goes  to 
the  milk." 

Such  mothers  find  it  necessary  frequently  to  ween  their 
children  early,  to  save  their  own  health  from  hopelessly 
failing.  Another  class  of  women  are  habitually  thin  in 
flesh,  but  furnish  the  usual  quantity  of  milk,  but  it  is  of 
such  poor  quality  that  it  does  not  materially  exhaust  them, 
neither  does  it  prove  to  be  very  nourishing  to  the  child,  as 
may  be  seen  from  the  child's  pallid,  soft  and  flabby 
appearance. 

Wet-Nursing. 
/ 
The  method  of  raising  children  by  wet  nurses  is  grow- 

ing in  popularity,  especially  in  the  more  fashionable  walks 
of  society.  Mothers  are  growing  fruitful  in  their  excuses 


526  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

for  not  nursing  their  children.  These  excuses  are,  it 
is  true,  in  many  instances,  valid,  and  should  be  received 
with  the  highest  consideration.  But  the  tendency  is  to 
magnify  little  obstacles,  resulting  from  the  condition  of 
health  or  physical  development.  The  truth  is,  the  mothers 
are  unwilling  to  make  a  necessary  sacrifice  of  the  pleasure 
and  enjoyment  to  be  found  in  social  life. 

The  true-hearted,  genuine  mother,  who  realizes  the 
great  object  that  Nature  had  in  the  construction  of  her 
physical  economy,  and  its  adaptation  to  meet  the  demands 
resulting  from  her  life-giving  organs,  will  not  allow  trivial 
hindrances  to  develop  between  her  and  the  fruit  of  her 
womb,  but  with  all  the  sympathy  of  a  mother's  heart  will 
cling  to  her  child  with  that  impulsive  maternal  love  that 
manifested  itself  naturally. 

The  provision  made  by  Nature  to  meet  the  wants  of 
offspring  had  a  two-fold  object  in  view  :  To  conveniently 
provide  for  the  physical  necessities  of  the  offspring,  and, 
through  the  giving  and  receiving  such  supplies,  a  farther 
development  of  the  oneness  of  mother  and  offspring.  Her 
heart  would  continue  to  swell  with  a  deeper  solicitude 
every  succeeding  day  of  anxious  care  and  watchfulness,  if 
that  mother  could  be  made  to  appreciate  the  advantages 
of  this  means  of  cementing  the  reciprocal  love  that  exists 
between  parents  and  children. 

There  are  cases,  however,  where  it  is  impracticable,  for 
many  reasons,  for  mothers  to  nurse  their  children.  The 
question  forces  itself  for  answer  as  to  the  method  of  bring- 
ing up  the  child.  From  many  causes  there  is  an  increasing 


SELECTION    OF  THE   WET-NURSE.  527 

tendency  to  resort  to  bottle-feeding  instead  of  procuring 
the  services  of  a  wet-nurse,  even  when  the  question  of 
expense  does  not  come  into  consideration.  Full  directions 
for  this  method  are  given  in  another  part  of  the  work,  to 
which  the  reader  is  referred. 

Selection    of  the   Wet-Nunse. 

In  selecting  a  wet-nurse,  we  should  endeavor  to  chose 
a  strong,  healthy  woman,  who  should  not  be  over  thirty 
to  thirty-five  years  of  age  at  the  outside,  since  the  quality 
of  the  milk  deteriorates  in  women  in  more  advanced  life. 
Every  young  woman  of  sixteen  or  seventeen  should  also 
be  rejected.  It  is  scarcely  necessary,  from  what  is  said 
elsewhere,  to  remark  that  great  care  must  be  taken  to 
require  the  absence  of  all  traces  of  constitutional  disease, 
especially  marks  of  scrofula  or  enlarged  glands  of  the  groin, 
which  may  be  due  to  antecedent  syphilitic  taint. 

If  the  nurse  be  of  good  muscular  development,  healthy 
looking,  with  a  clear  complexion,  sound  teeth  (indicating 
generally  a  good  state  of  health)  the  color  of  the  hair  and 
eyes  are  of  secondary  importance.  It  is  commonly  stated 
that  brunettes  make  better  nurses  than  blondes,  but  this 
is  by  no  means  necessarily  the  case.  Provided  all  the 
other  points  be  favorable,  fairness  of  skin  and  hair  need 
be  no  bar  to  the  selection  of  a  nurse.  The  breasts  should 
be  pear-shaped  and  rather  firm,  indicating  an  abundance 
of  gland  tissue,  with  the  superficial  veins  well  marked. 
Long,  flabby  breasts  owe  much  of  their  size  to  an  abun- 
dance of  fat,  and  are  generally  unfavorable.  The  nipple 


528        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

should  be  prominent,  not  too  large,  and  free  from  cracks 
and  erosions  which,  if  existing,  might  lead  to  subsequent 
difficulties  in  nursing.  On  pressing  the  breasts  the  milk 
should  flow  from  it  eagerly  in  a  number  of  small  jets,  and 
some  of  it  should  be  submitted  to  an  expert  for  examina- 
tion. 

The  character  of  the  applicant  should  have  due  consid- 
eration. An  irascible,  excitable,  or  highly-nervous  woman 
will  certainly  make  a  bad  nurse,  and  the  most  trivial 
causes  might  afterwards  interfere  with  the  quality  of  her 
milk.  Much  may  be  learned  by  paying  particular  atten- 
tion to  the  nurse's  own  child,  as  its  condition  affords  the 
best  criterion  for  determining  the  quality  of  the  milk.  It 
should  be  plump,  well-nourished,  and  free  from  all  evidence 
of  disease. 

Directions   for  Arresting  the  Secretion  of  Milk. 

It  is  highly  important  that  mothers  (where,  for  some 
satisfactory  reason,  many  are  disqualified  for  nursing,  also 
at  the  time  of  weaning)  should  have  some  advice  as  to  the 
best  means  to  be  adopted  for  their  own  comfort  and  safety 
in  stopping  the  milk-secretion  as  soon  as  possible.  The 
heat  and  distention  of  the  breast,  under  the  influence  of 
the  excessive  flow  of  milk  soon  after  delivery,  often  give 
rise  to  much  distress.  The  breasts  should  be  enveloped 
in  cloth  or  cotton-batting,  covered  with  an  ointment  or 
salve  made  from  camphor,  belladonna  and  lard.  Pulverize 
two  drachms  of  camphor,  which  will  be  easily  done  if  you 
first  add  to  it  a  few  drops  of  alcohol ;  add  to  this  one 


EXCESSIVE    LACTATION.  529 

drachm  of  pulverized  extract  of  belladonna  and  two 
ounces  of  lard.  If  you  cannot  buy  the  belladonna 
pulverized,  rub  up  the  soft  extract  with  the  lard  and  then 
add  the  camphor.  When  the  glands  get  hard  and  lumpy 
they  should  be  gently  rubbed,  so  as  to  avoid  any  undue 
tension  of  the  milk  vessels  that  might  result  in 'abscess. 
The  patient  should  take  one  or  two  teaspoonfuls  of 
Rochelle  salts,  or  sulphate  of  magnesia  (Epsom  salts)  and 
senna — two  parts  of  the  former  to  one  of  the  latter 
—  sufficient  to  produce  an  aperient  effect  upon  the  bowels. 
This  will  do  much  toward  removing  the  milk.  The  iodide 
of  potassium,  in  doses  of  twenty  to  thirty  grains,  is,  in 
many  cases,  a  specific  in  arresting  the  secretion  of  milk. 

A  very  good  liniment  for  relieving  the  pain  resulting 
from  an  over-distention  of  the  breasts  with  milk  may  be 
made  from  taking  four  ounces  of  strong  tincture  of  cam- 
phor, one  ounce  of  laudanum,  and  two  tablespoonfuls  of 
good  soft-soap,  put  all  into  a  bottle  and  shake  well  before 
using.  It  should  be  applied  every  three  or  four  hours. 
Should  there  be  a  tendency  to  develop  an  abscess,  it  may 
be  averted  by  taking  full  doses  of  either  the  fluid  extract 
or  tincture  of  phytolacca  decandria  (poke-root)  every 
three  or  four  hours. 

Excessive   Lactation. 

There  are  many  women  who,  even  in  nursing  their 
own  children,  are  troubled  with  an  excessive  flow  of  milk, 
more  than  the  children  are  able  to  take.  This  excessive 
secretion  keeps  the  breasts  distended  to  such  an  extent  as 


530  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

disposes  them  to  a  continual  leakage,  which  renders  the 
nurse  very  uncomfortable  from  the  saturated  condition  of 
her  clothing.  In  such  cases  the  child  is  very  liable  to  suffer 
because  of  the  unnutritious,  watery  character  of  the  milk. 
Women  who  are  accustomed  to  long  and  profuse  monthly 
sickness  are  prone  to  this  excessive  secretion  of  watery 
milk.  To  remedy  or  obviate  this  over-abundant  supply 
and  improve  the  quality,  much  may  be  accomplished  by 
attention  given  to  both  food  and  drink,  and  the  addition 
of  some  tonic  medication. 

There  are  some  kinds  of  food,  such  as  cabbage  and 
turnip,  soups,  etc.,  that  increase  the  quantity  of  milk.' 
These  should  be  avoided,  and  also  the  free  use  of  fluids. 
Hence  the  food  should  be  to  a  great  extent  composed  of 
solid  material,  and  eaten  comparatively  dry.  In  addition 
to  this  change  of  alimentation,  a  tonic  composed  of  "tinc- 
ture of  iron,  fifteen  to  twenty  drops  in  a  sup  of  water, 
three  or  four  times  daily,  will  be  found  highly  beneficial. 
The  tincture  of  iron  is  destructive  of  the  enamel  of  the 
teeth,  and  should  be  taken  through  a  tube.  It  blackens 
the  stools,  which  need  not  give  any  unnecessary  alarm. 
It  should  be  discontinued  as  soon  as  the  improvement  of 
the  milk  is  manifest.  In  those  cases  in  which  the  trouble 
seems  to  be  not  so  much  an  over-supply  as  an  inability  to 
retain  the  milk,  the  administration  of  tonics  addressed  to 
the  nervous  system,  and  the  local  application  of  astrin- 
gents and  of  collodion  around  the  nipples,  will  overcome 
the  difficulty. 


SCANTINESS   OF   MILK.  531 

Scantiness  of  Milk. 

Some  mothers  appear  never  to  have  a  sufficient  supply 
of  milk  to  meet  the  demands  of  their  children.  A  herds- 
man,\vhose  wife  belonged  to  this  class,  said  that  "  fine- 
bred  stock  were  not  good  milkers. "  Whether  or  not  this 
opinion  is  sustained  in  the  human  family  cannot  be  affirmed 
with  certainty.  It  is  true  that,  for  some  perhaps  unknown 
cause,  certain  women  who  physically  appear  to  be  pos- 
sessed of  the  necessary  qualifications,  habitually  secrete  an 
insufficient  quantity  to  supply  the  demands  made  upon 
them  to  support  a  single  child.  Other  women,  with  no 
more  favorable  appearance,  can  furnish  an  abundant  supply 
for  two  babes. 

The  women  of  deficient  lactation  are  generally  found 
in  the  large  cities,  among  working  women  whose  daily 
employment  requires  them  to  be  separated  from  their  chil- 
dren during  a  great  portion  of  the  day.  The  deficiency 
may  arise  from  want  of  nutritious  diet,  which  would  cause 
an  impoverishment  of  the  blood  and  consequent  indiges- 
tion. This  unfavorably  affects  the  nervous  system,  and 
diminishes  the  supply  as  well  as  deteroriates  the  quantity 
of  milk. 

Excessive  exercise  and  overwork,  especially  among 
women  who  are  ambitious  to  accomplish  a  large  amount 
of  work  in  a  set  time,  affects  lacation.  There  are  women 
who,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  without  any  undue 
burdens  to  perform,  secrete  an  ordinary  supply  of  milk, 
but  when  they  have  a  washing  to  do  or  some  extra  house- 


532        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

cleaning,  their  child  is  compelled  to  undergo  a  fast. 
Women  who  do  not  begin  to  have  children  until  late  in 
married  life  have  usually  less  milk  than  those  who  begin 
earlier. 

In  remedying  this  misfortune  the  social  history  of  the 
individual  case  should  be  carefully  studied,  to  ascertain 
any  probable  cause  pertaining  to  the  habits  of  the  indi- 
vidual that  might  be  overcome  or  corrected.  It  was  said, 
in  the  remarks  on  the  qualities  of  a  good  nurse,  that  some 
women  appear  to  secrete  milk  only  when  the  gland  is 
stimulated  by  the  application  of  the  child  to  their  breast. 
If  the  mother  who  may  be  troubled  with  lack  of  supply 
would  take  advantage  of  this  suggestion,  and  frequently 
apply  the  child  to  the  breast,  she  might  find  a  sufficiency 
to  supply  the  demand.  It  is  so  in  many  cases. 

In  some  mothers,  manipulation  of  the  nipple  by  draw- 
ing it  between  the  thumb  and  finger  will  cause  the  breast 
to  fill  up.  A  change  of  the  social  condition,  exercise  in 
the  fresh  air,  baths,  personal  cleanliness,  and  such  hygienic 
treatment  as  will  improve  the  general  health,  will  increase 
the  quantity  and  improve  the  quality  of  the  milk.  The 
diet  should  be  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the  system.  Those 
mothers  who  are  weak  and  pale  will  require  a  large  pro- 
portion of  eggs  and  meat,  while  the  corpulent  should  be 
restricted  in  animal  food  and  take  plenty  of  exercise  in 
the  open  air.  True  galactogenic  agents  increase  the 
quantity  without  deteriorating  the  quality.  Abundant 
and  succulent  food,  fresh  air,  plenty  of  sleep,  exercise 
and,  if  required,  bitter  tonics,  are  the  more  rational 


TO    OVERCOME    SUPPRESSION   OF    MILK.  533 

measures.  Cider,  beer,  etc.,  are  highly  recommended  by 
some.  Certain  kinds  of  grain,  no  doubt,  have  an  influence 
on  the  quantity  and  quality  of  milk.  Oatmeal  and  buck- 
wheat have  well-deserved  reputation  as  suitable  food  for 
those  women  who  are  troubled  with  deficient  lactation. 

Of  drugs,  the  galega  officinalis  has  been  prescribed  on 
good  authority  to  increase  both  the  quantity  and  quality 
of  milk. 

To  Overcome  Suppression  of  Milk. 

When,  from  any  accidental  cause,  there  is  suppression 
of  the  milk,  and  it  is  desired  to  renew  the  secretion,  the 
most  efficient  agents  are  : 

1.  Suction,  either   by  the  mouth   of  the  infant  or  the 
nurse,  or  by  means  of  the  instruments  that  are  used  for 
that  purpose. 

2.  Topical  applications.     Of  the  latter  the  leaves  of 
the  castor-oil  plant  deserve  special  mention.     A  handful 
of  the  fresh  leaves  is  boiled  in  a  half-gallon  of  water,  and 
the  breasts  are  gently  bathed  and  rubbed  with  this  decoc- 
tion for  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  after  which  a  poultice  of 
the  boiled  leaves  is  made,  laid  upon  the  breast  and  allowed 
to  remain  until  it  dries.      If  the  secretion  do  not  reappear 
in  a  few  hours,  this  is  to  be  repeated. 

3.  Faradization    (electricity).     The  apparatus    should 
be  at  moderate  force,  the   conductors  moist  ;   the  muscles 
of  the  breast  should  not  be  included  in  the  current,  which 
should  be  confined  to  the  gland,  and  the  sessions  should 
last  about  twenty  minutes  each.     The  success  Math  this 
means  has  been  positive. 


534  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

To  prevent  accidents  occurring  from  suppression  of 
milk,  it  is  best  to  give  a  brisk  purgative,  such  as  a  full 
dose  of  Epsom  salts,  which  will  produce  a  free,  watery 
discharge  from  the  bowels,  and  restore  as  speedily  as 
possible  the  secretion  of  milk. 

The  Relation  of  Husband  and  Nursing- Wife. 

It  is  customary  for  the  husband  to  occupy  a  separate 
room  during  the  lying-in  period,  which  if  the  confinement 
has  been  normal,  lasts  about  a  month.  During  this  period 
there  should  be  no  sexual  intercourse,  nor  should  there  be 
until,  at  the  least,  the  perfect  normal  conditions  of  those 
organs  that  have  been  so  seriously  taxed  in  bringing  into 
life  a  human  being  have  been  re-established. 

It  is  a.  question  of  discussion  among  medical  men 
whether  or  not  continence  should  be  observed  during  the 
entire  period  of  lactation.  Some  authorities  affirm  that 
sexual  intercourse  makes  too  heavy  a  drain  upon  the  vital 
forces  of  the  woman's  system,  already  taxed  to  their 
utmost  capacity  in  providing  nourishment  for  her  depend- 
ent child,  while  other  medical  men,  of  equal  ability,  assert 
that  moderate  and  prudent  cohabitation  rather  conduce  to 
the  health  of  the  wife.  It  is  certainly  not  to  be  expected 
that  absolute  continence  will  be  endured  by  husband  or 
wife  during  the  period  of  lactation.  However,  when 
women  are  warned,  by  the  return  of  their  menses,  that 
they  are  liable  to  another  pregnancy,  which  would  result 
not  only  in  an  injury  to  their  nursing  child,  as  well  as  an 
over-production  which  would  be  alike  injurious  to  mother 
and  child,  then  such  asceticism  should  be  insisted  upon. 


MAMMA'S  INSTRUCTIONS. 


MATURE  WOMANHOOD. 


General   Remarks. 

A  quaint  and  homely  adage  says  :  "  Once  a  man,  and 
twice  a  child."  If  "  woman  "  should  be  substituted  for 
"  man  "  and  the  reference  be  made  to  the  possession  and 
exercise  of  the  procreative  functions,  no  more  striking 
truism  could  be  stated.  When  a  child,  she  had  a  strictly 
individual  life.  A  time  comes  when  she  resumes  this 
condition.  This  time  is  called  the  "  climacteric  period," 
or  change  of  life.  From  the  time  of  puberty  in  the  morn- 
ing of  maidenhood,  up  to  this  time,  woman  has  been 
capable  of  conceiving  and  giving  life  to  others.  Other 
lives  were  wrapped  up  in  hers.  Every  successive  month 
for  more  than  thirty  years  there  ripened  in  the  ovaries  of 
her  body  a  primordial  germ  of  life.  But,  with  the  change 
of  life,  this  physical  function  ceased.  She  returns  to  the 
individual  existence  she  enjoyed  as  a  child. 

If  she  has  been  governed  by  the  principles  of  wisdom 
and  prudence  she  may  look  forward  to  a  period  of  tran- 
quility  and  rest,  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of  health  and  the 
honors  of  paternal  love  —  a  love  which  will  burn  with  a 
brighter  and  purer  flame  than  any  which  she  inspired  in 
either  the  bloom  of  her  youth,  or  the  beauty  of  her 

535 


536  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

maidenhood.  But,  before  this  haven  can  be  reached  or 
this  goal  attained,  there  is  a  crisis  to  be  passed,  to  which 
most  women  look  with  anxious  solicitude. 

Age  at  Climacteric  Period. 

The  reproductive  period  of  woman's  life  extends  from 
about  fifteen  to  forty-five  years,  or  through  a  period  of 
time  equivalent  to  one  generation,  or  thirty  years.  This 
may  be  varied  a  few  years,  some  commencing  earlier  than 
fifteen,  while  others  continue  till  fifty  years  of  age. 
Instances  are  not  unusual  where  the  menses  do  not  cease 
until  after  fifty.  The  writer  knew  a  mother  quite  well 
who  was  blessed  with  a  large  family  and  gave  birth  to  her 
youngest  child  at  the  extreme  age  of  fifty-one  years. 
There  are  cases  on  record  in  which  the  change  did  not 
take  place  until  after  sixty  years.  But  these  are  extreme 
cases,  and  quite  rare. 

Examples  of  the  early  cessation  of  the  menstrual  fluid 
are  much  more  common.  The  youngest  woman  who  had 
changed  life,  met  by  the  writer  in  his  practice,  did  it 
in  her  thirty-second  year.  Others,  however,  reckon 
instances  as  young  as  twenty-eight,  in  which  the  menstrual 
flow  had  ceased.  But  all  these  cases  referred  to  by 
authorities  are  extreme,  and  exceptions  to  the  general 
rule.  Women  ordinarily  begin  to  look  for  some  manifesta- 
tions of  the  approaching  change  after  they  have  passed 
their  fortieth  year,  and,  indeed,  it  is  rarely  now  that  you 
meet  a  nursing  mother  who  is  more  than  two-score. 


INCIDENTS   ATTENDING   CHANGE   OF   LIFE.  537 


Incidents  Attending  Change  of    Life. 

There  are  not  only  radical  but  frequently  serious 
changes  and  diseases  that  develop  at  the  introduction  of 
the  menstrual  flow  ;  its  cessation  is  also  accompanied  by- 
changes  and  disease. 

Fothergill  says,  in  his  distinguished  work  :  "  In  seden- 
tary and  advanced  life  there  is  a  certain  liability  to  disease 
at  the  time  of  puberty,  as  pulmonary  tuberculosis  and 
anoemia.  The  latter  may  extend  to  chlorosis.  So,  at  the 
end  of  this  reproductive  period,  there  is  a  liability  to 
imperfect  nutrition,  and  to  a  like  development  of  the 
adipose  tissue,  as  is  seen  in  the  anaemia  of  post-pubertal 
life.  How  and  why  there  is  a  tendency  to  mal-nutrition 
of  the  muscular  tissue,  and  a  development  of  fat  at  the 
beginning  and  end  of  the  reproductive  period,  it  is  not 
possible  to  say.  But  there  is  no  question  about  the  fact. 
It  apparently  depends  upon  some  hidden  law  of  nutrition 
not  yet  revealed  to  us." 

As  a  consequence,  then,  most  women  at  the  change  of 
life  are  often  in  feeble  health.  They  are  not  infrequently 
stout,  with  flabby  muscles.  The  heart,  being  a  muscle,  is 
weak,  and  there  is  incapacity  for  exertion,  with  palpitation 
on  effort.  The  nervous  system  is  often  debilitated,  self- 
control  is  impaired,  and  the  sufferer  becomes  pettish, 
fretful,  or  nervous.  There  may  be  a  good  deal  of  dis- 
turbance of  the  heart's  action,  and  heart-disease  be  sus- 
pected, as  was  the  case  with  the  late  Harriet  Martineau 
(who  got  rid  of  her  heart  symptoms  entirely,  to  die  more 


538  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

than  twenty  years  later  of  a  disease  utterly  unconnected 
with  her  heart).  The  bowels  are  apt  to  become  irregular, 
while  the  appetite  becomes  capricious. 

As  to  the  uterine  functions,  the  changes  in  them  take 
various  directions.  Sometimes  a  barren  wife  becomes  a 
mother  —  like  Sarah  of  old  —  when  all  hope  of  offspring 
is  dying  out. 

A  widow  or  spinster,  who  hitherto  has  led  a  decorous 
life,  suddenly  develops  strong  erratic  tendencies,  and 
either  makes  a  foolish  marriage  or  forms  immoral  and 
disreputable  ties  at  the  bidding  of  the  recondicence  of  the 
sexual  instinct.  The  records  of  divorce  courts,  the  annals 
of  asylums,  the  dates  on  the  tombstones  in  the  church- 
yard, all  tell  us  of  the  severe  strain  put  upon  the  system 
of  the  woman  during  the  change  of  life. 

There  is,  indeed,  much  physical  and  mental  disturb- 
ance at  this  time.  Sometimes  the  flux  becomes  increased; 
at  other  times  decreased,  or  it  becomes  irregular  and 
fitful.  Not  uncommonly  some  special  disturbance,  as 
sickness  and  vomiting,  may  take  place,  and  recur  ryth- 
mically,  at  times  which  correspond  with  the  menstrual 
flux  ;  and  this  sort  of  echo  or  refrain  may  not  uncom- 
monly be  detected  for  some  time  after  the  menses  have 
ceased.  Indeed,  in  recurrent  troubles  at  or  about  the 
change  of  life,  it  will  commonly  be  found,  upon  close 
inquiry,  that  they  correspond  to  the  menstrual  periods, 
had  these  still  continued.  When  the  periods  manifest  an 
amount  of  pain  exceeding  what  has  been  experienced  in 
earlier  days,  thrre  exists  a  strong  suspicion  of  latent 
gout. 


INCIDENTS    ATTENDING   CHANGE   OF   LIFE.  539 

The  bowels  are  apt  to  become  irregular  for  the  want 
of  tone  in  the  muscular  fibers.  There  is  generally  a 
flatulence,  which  adds  to  the  disturbance  of  the  heart  and 
aggravates  the  nervous  condition  present.  Shortness  of 
breath,  palpitation,  come  on  at  other  times  than  after 
effort.  Sometimes  the  patient  wakes  up  from  sleep  with 
one  or  both  these  conditions  present,  and  is  greatly 
alarmed,  thinking  something  dreadful  is  the  matter. 
Especially  is  this  the  case  when  the  heart's  action  is 
irregular  and  the  palpitation  intermittent,  as  though  the 
heart  stopped.  This  apparent  stoppage  of  the  heart 
produces  the  greatest  alarm  ;  for  as  long  as  the  patient 
can  feel  the  beating  of  her  heart,  she  knows  she  is  not 
dying,  but  when  it  ceases  for  a  moment,  she  is  filled  with 
consternation. 

This  complicated  condition  is  a  source  of  great  trouble 
to  many  women,  especially  when  the  nervous  system  is 
disturbed.  However,  about  the  time  this  change  comes, 
the  health  of  the  sufferer  becomes  impaired  from  other 
causes,  which  are  liable  to  be  overlooked  and  no  attention 
paid  to  them,  thinking  all  her  ailments  are  due  to  the 
change  of  life.  Hence  she  is  disposed  to  keep  quiet,  and 
wait  for  Nature  to  revolutionize  her  system.  This  is  a  sad 
misfortune,  because,  when  the  change  is  come,  it  finds  her 
poorly  prepared  for  it. 

All  women,  when  this  time  of  life  draws  nigh,  ought, 
as  a  duty  to  themselves  and  their  families,  take  especial  care 
of  themselves,  and  should  promptly  meet  any  deviation 
from  good  health  by  appropriate  treatment,  so  as  to  arm 


540        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

themselves  and  be  equipped  when  this  enemy  to  female 
health  makes  the  attack.  This  course  will  well  reward 
them  in  the  day  of  trial. 

General    Directions. 

The  management  of  the  troubles  that  present  them- 
selves at  this  time  of  life  consists  in  a  well-regulated  regimen, 
with  such  exercise  as  the  system  is  able  to  bear.  The  food 
should  be  light  and  very  digestible,  consisting  of  oatmeal 
porridge,  rice  pudding  and  soups.  If  there  be  much 
debility,  wine  bitters  and  proper  stimulants  to  meet  the 
attacks  of  palpitation  may  be  used.  Rest  is  very  impor- 
tant, and  especially  in  a  recumbent  manner,  to  such  patients 
as  suffer  from  the  attacks  of  palpitation.  Some  tonic 
medicine  should  be  taken,  as  digitalis,  nux  vomica,  or 
belladonna,  or  lily  of  the  valley  combined  with  a  carmi- 
native, as  cascarilla,  or  other  aromatics.  Special  attention 
should  be  given  to  the  bowels,  to  see  that  they  are  kept 
open  regularly  by  proper  attention  to  diet,  or,  if  need  be, 
by  using  some  mild  aperient. 

Anything  that  would  be  liable  to  produce  pain  should 
be  avoided.  The  condition  of  the  nervous  system  disquali- 
fies the  patient  for  enduring  pain.  The  pain  of  griping 
bowels  is  very  distressing,  and  especially  so  in  the  con- 
dition of  the  female  at  the  change  of  life.  Consequently 
all  drastic  purgatives  are  to  be  avoided,  the  mildest  laxa- 
tives only  used,  and  they  combined  with  aromatics  or 
carminatives  so  as  not  to  produce  griping. 


INCIDENTS    ATTENDING    CHANGE    OF    LIFE.  541 

If  minerals  be  used  they  should  be  accompanied  with 
a  little  essence  of  ginger  or  some  other  warm  agent,  to 
prevent  any  tendency  to  gripings.  If  these  directions  be 
carefully  observed,  much  suffering  will  be  avoided,  and 
comfort  and  safety  to  life  will  abundantly  reward  the 
patient  for  all  the  trouble  she  may  undergo  in  strictly 
complying  with  them. 

As  the  time  of  life  approaches  when  it  is  customary  to 
look  for  this  important  epoch  (and  indeed  at  all  other  times 
as  well)  women  should  endeavor  to  live  such  temperate 
lives,  both  physically  and  mentally,  as  insure  a  placidity  of 
mind  and  vigor  of  body.  No  change,  however  radical, 
that  has  its  origin  in  the  natural  execution  of  any  of  those 
functions  established  by  the  wisdom  of  a  beneficent  Creator 
for  our  well-being  should  result  in  any  serious  detriment 
to  health  or  comfort. 

The  misery  of  womankind  is,  to  a  very  great  extent, 
the  result  of  the  reckless  violation  of  physical  law.  With 
the  laws  of  hygiene,  as  pointed  out  in  this  work,  carefully 
obeyed  all  along  the  journey  of  life,  much  suffering  would 
be  avoided,  and  no  evil  foreboding  in  regard  to  this 
important  change  need  enter  the  mind  to  disturb  the  com- 
fort that  is  wont  to  exist  in  a  truly  happy  family.  Indeed, 
many  of  the  troubles  attending  this  period  of  life  are  either 
directly  or  indirectly  the  result  of  an  anxious  concern  or 
expectancy  that  is  nourished  and  cherished  in  the  minds 
of  individuals,  perhaps  for  years  before  this  change  takes 
place.  When  it  does  come,  it  too  often  finds  the  system 
feebly  prepared  to  meet  even  an  imaginary  foe  or  a  real 
enemy. 


542        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

Physiologically  speaking,  it  is  just  as  natural  for  the 
menstrual  flux  to  cease  as  to  begin.  Both  epochs  are  the 
result  of  well-defined  natural  laws.  There  is  no  reason 
why  either  of  them  should  be  attended  with  any  special 
disturbance  of  the  general  health.  And,  since  the  girl 
who  has  been  properly  educated  in  regard  to  her  own 
physical  economy,  and  has  paid  a  reasonable  respect  to 
the  laws  of  health  during  the  period  of  childhood,  experi- 
ences no  trouble  at  the  approach  of  puberty,  neither  should 
she  at  its  decline,  if  she  have  continued  to  be  governed  by 
the  same  health-producing  principles  through  all  the  years 
of  her  maternal  womanhood.  Those  only  suffer  who 
have,  throughout  this  period  of  maternity,  lived  to  a  very 
great  extent  in  open  rebellion  to  many,  if  not  all,  the  well- 
established  principles  of  physical  life.  Is  it  seriously  to 
be  expected  that  such  women  will,  under  the  most  rigid 
discipline,  be  able  entirely  to  pass  through  any  important 
crisis  without  experiencing  more  or  less  inconvenience  ? 

But  there  is  much  encouragement  to  afford  to  a  large 
number  of  women  who  may,  to  a  great  extent,  have  been 
suffering  invalids  for  many  years.  To  many  such,  who 
have  been  battling  with  the  terrors  of  nervous  irritability 
or  the  rackings  of  disease  resulting  from  physical  derange- 
ments or  functional  disturbances  of  the  organs  of 
generation,  the  light-house  of  restored  health  may  be 
seen  from  the  mast-top,  and  with  these  directions  for  a 
pilot,  and  prudence  and  common  sense  as  a  helm,  they 
will  be  able  to  land  their  frail  bark  in  the  long-looked-for 
haven,  where  they  may  pass  the  evening  of  life  in  the 
enjoyment  of  almost  perfect  health. 


INFLUENCE   OF   THE    DEATH    OF   HUSBAND,    ETC.      543 

The  writer  is,  and  has  been  for  more  than  half  a 
century,  well  acquainted  with  an  old  lady  who  is  now  in 
her  eighty-fifth  year.  She  is  a  mother  of  a  large  family.  She 
had  scarcely  passed  her  thirtieth  summer  when,  by  one  of  the 
accidents  that  may  befall  a  woman  during  her  child-bearing 
life,  was  made  an  invalid,  suffering  for  a  period  of  a  score 
of  years.  Much  of  the  time  she  was  confined  to  her  room 
and  even  to  her  bed,  rarely,  if  ever,  able  to  walk  half  a 
mile.  For  the  last  thirty-five  years  she  has  enjoyed  as  fair  a 
share  of  health  as  women  generally  do.  She  is  able  to 
get  up  and  down  on  a  chair  as  quickly  almost  as  a  girl  of 
fifteen.  She  can  walk  a  mile  or  two  without  any  inconveni- 
ence, and  has  been  for  months  past  traveling  alone  on 
the  cars  or  other  conveyances,  visiting  her  children  and 
enjoying  the  pleasures  of  life.  Be  not  discouraged,  but 
hopeful.  No  matter  what  may  have  been  your  debility 
and  suffering,  you  may,  like  the  case  referred  to,  have 
many  years  to  live  in  the  enjoyment  of  reasonable  health, 
your  latter  days  crowned  with  peace  and  pleasure. 

Influence  of  the  Death    of    Husband    upon    Wife. 

The  relation  of  husband  and  wife  is  perhaps  not  only 
the  most  sacred,  but  the  most  intimate  and  binding  of 
all  associations  of  life.  It  has  its  origin  in  the  develop- 
ment of  those  social  instincts  that  harmonize  the  various 
elements  existing  in  two  individuals  into  one  symmetrical 
whole. 

The  disrupture  of  such  a  web,  of  which  man  and 
woman  alone  form  the  warp  and  the  woof,  cannot  be 


544        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

effected  without  serious  damage  to  the  whole.  But  this 
separation  must,  from  the  very  nature  of  all  human  rela- 
tions, take  place.  The  scythe  of  Time  cuts  down  alike  all 
classes  and  all  sexes,  and  the  impress  of  the  ruthless  hand 
is  seen  in  desolated  homes.  Women  are  seen  daily  in  the 
thoroughfares  and  byways,  walking  with  nervous  tread 
and  sad  countenances,  and  draped  in  the  habiliments  of 
mourning.  But  a  garb  of  wo  lightly  exhibits  the  sorrow 
and  anguish  that  fills  the  heart  of  her  who  bears  the 
ensign.  The  privations  that  are  experienced  by  such  loss 
must  be  felt  to  be  fully  appreciated.  They  make  inroads 
on  the  health  as  well  as  the  happiness  and  comfort  of  the 
individual.  There  are  numberless  women  who  can  date 
their  failure  of  health  from  such  an  eventful  crisis.  The 
writer  is  not  in  possession  of  any  data,  public  or  private, 
outside  of  his  own  observation  to  enable  him  to  establish 
how  much,  if  any,  her  reproductive  functions  suffer  from 
the  want  of  their  accustomed  stimulus.  Men  who  stand 
high  in  place  teach  that  sexual  intercourse  is  a  necessity 
to  man,  but  not  to  woman  ;  that  woman  naturally  has  not 
so  much  secretion  as  man,  and  is  provided  with  an  outlet 
in  Nature  through  the  medium  of  menstruation,  conse- 
quently she  has  not  the  same  demands. 

If  this  theory  be  correct,  she  will  not  physically  suffer 
in  the  non-exercise  of  her  reproductive  functions. 
Indeed,  it  cannot  be  admitted  that  a  life  of  continence  in 
the  male,  which  would  necessarily  follow  in  case  of  the 
death  of  the  wife,  would  result  in  any  serious  damage  to 
his  health.  There  can  be  conceived  no  substantial  reason 


INFLUENCE    OF   THE    DEATH    OF    HUSBAND,    ETC.       545 

why  the  death  of  a  husband  should  be  followed  with  any 
serious  injury  to  the  widowed  wife. 

In  the  lower  order  of  animals  there  is  no  damage 
physically  sustained  from  want  of  use  of  their  reproductive 
organs,  which  are  much  larger  and  secrete  more  copiously 
than  does  the  human  species.  The  woman  who  has  lived 
a  chaste  and  temperate  life  will  only  periodically  have  any 
desire  for  coition,  and  such  periods  are  under  the  influence 
of  the  function  of  menstruation.  When  she  has  passed 
the  climacteric,  there  will  be  nothing  to  stimulate  the 
desire  for  coition.  Hence,  she  suffers  no  inconvenience  or 
injury  in  this  regard  at  the  death  of  her  husband.  The 
presumption  is  that  her  physical  organism  is  greatly  bene- 
fited. There  is  no  physiological  reason  to  believe  that, 
as  an  independent  being,  freed  from  the  responsibility  of 
receiving  and  giving  life  by  the  death  of  her  life-giving 
functions,  her  health  is  at  all  dependent  upon  acts  that 
were  even  questionable  in  her  reproductive  state.  In 
looking  over  the  field  of  widowhood  in  mature  age,  and 
comparing  widows'  health  and  general  appearance  with 
women  of  similar  age  but  living  in  marital  life,  the  writer, 
from  his  own  observation,  is  forced  to  the  supposition 
that  such  widows  do  not  only  equal  but  fairly  surpass  in 
healthy  appearance  their  more  fortunate  sisters. 

The  same  is  true  of  women  who  have  become  widows 
during  their  menstrual  period  ;  the  health  of  any  given 
number  of  such  women  will  average  fully  as  well  as  the 
same  number  of  wives  or  spinsters  in  the  same  material 
circumstances.  It  has  been  said  elsewhere,  and  will  bear 


546  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

repeating  here,  that  there  is  no  doubt  of  the  beneficial 
effects  of  marriage  and  maternity  on  the  health  of  many 
women.  Wifehood,  sexual  coition  and  maternity  are 
natural  conditions  to  which  the  physiological  organs  and 
functions  are  specially  adapted.  It  is  fair  to  assume  — 
and  experience  and  observation  bear  out  the  assumption 
—  that  if  these  physical  organs  are  never  employed  for  their 
designed  purpose,  a  perfect  physical  development  cannot 
be  reached.  An  unused  talent  rusts.  An  unused  physical 
organ  not  only  becomes  unfit  for  use,  but  sympathetically 
affects  the  whole  organism.  As  a  rule,  married  women 
have  a  better  physical  development  and  health  than 
unmarried  women  of  the  same  age.  Also,  as  a  rule,  mar- 
ried women  who  have  borne  children  are  superior  in  the 
same  respects  to  those  who  are  married  and  childless. 

But  a  widow  does  not  return  to  the  condition  of  a 
spinster.  If  she  has  been  married  a  few  years,  and 
especially  if  she  has  borne  children,  she  has  received  the 
advantages  to  her  health  which  compliance  with  this 
natural  order  can  confer.  If  the  opportunity  to  further 
exercise  these  reproductive  organs  be  denied  her  through 
the  death  of  her  husband,  no  serious  physical  injury  will 
result.  On  the  contrary,  she  is  likely  to  secure  the  bene- 
fits suggested  before.  The  vulgar  assertion  that  widows 
are  eager  to  remarry  rests  upon  some  truth.  If  a 
woman  has  once  been  happily  married  and  drank  deeply 
of  the  joys  of  domestic  bliss,  it  is  not  at  all  strange  that 
the  contrast  of  that  state  with  her  present  lonely  and 
barren  one,  should  create  yearnings  for  the  former. 


CELIBACY. 


Advantages  and  Disadvantages. 

EARLY  in  the  history  of  the  human  race  it  was  said  by 
One  whose  knowledge  surpassed  the  heavens :  "  It  is  not 
good  for  man  to  be  alone. "  What  was  thus  said  of  the 
man  had  equal  application  to  the  woman  ;  for  he  must 
necessarily  be  alone  if  she  be  alone.  Reasons  abound  and 
are  not  difficult  to  grasp,  to  substantiate  the  wisdom  of 
the  Divine  declaration.  A  thousand  years  after  this,  how- 
ever, we  read  of  one,  great  in  wisdom  and  authority  among 
men,  who  counseled  the  men  of  Christian  Corinth  that 
they  keep  from  such  alliance,  and  remain  as  he  was  him- 
self. Thus  is  Paul  pointed  to  as  the  first  celibate. 

The  application  has  been  wrongly  made.  The  apostle 
to  the  Gentile  world  was  regarding  marriage  wholly  from 
the  religious  standpoint,  not  from  the  social  and  economic. 
For  himself,  it  were  manifestly  better  that  he  take  no  cares 
of  domestic  life  upon  him.  His  mission  called  him  to  con- 
stant wanderings.  The  comforts  and  joys  of  domestic  life 
must  be  untasted  by  him  who  was  called  to  execute  a  great 
work.  Time  to  him  was  brief.  He  was  called  to  his  work 
and  mission  after  the  vigor  and  enthusiasm  of  youth  had 
been  wasted,  and  he  must  use  all  expedition  to  redeem  the 

547 


548  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

residue.  To  all  of  these  to  whom  he  wrote  it  was  the 
same.  But  a  few  brief  years  could  elapse  before  the  account 
of  life  must  be  balanced,  and  then  it  mattered  little  what 
social  relations  had'been  made  or  left  unmade. 

A  glance  at  the  physical  status  of  the  married  and 
unmarried  ought  to  teach  what  the  law  of  Nature  on  the 
subject  is.  Nature  intends  that  men  and  women  shall 
enjoy  health  and  happiness.  Marriage  is  a  factor  in  human 
life.  Does  it  contribute  help  or  hindrance  to  the  end  and 
design  of  Nature?  Specifically,  is  it  true  that  the  health 
of  unmarried  women  is  better  than  that  of  the  married  ? 
The  consensus  of  physicians  and  social  statisticians  is  that 
the  balance  of  health  is  with  the  married  woman.  Health 
and  longevity  during  the  child-bearing  period  of  woman's 
life  are  more  assured  to  those  who  have  entered  the  married 
relation.  It  is  a  conclusion  based  on  carefully  compiled 
statistics  and  cannot  be  gainsaid. 

There  are  reasons  why  this  should  be  so.  One  is  that 
there  are  not  a  few  diseases  which  are  not  only  mitigated 
but  actually  cured  by  the  exercise  of  the  privileges  of  the 
marital  relation.  Especially  is  this  true  of  that  class  of 
ailments  which  are  superinduced  by  functional  derange- 
ments and  disturbances  of  the  reproductive  organs. 
Chorea,  or  St.  Vitus'  da.nce  as  it  is  commonly  called,  is 
known  to  have  been  frequently  cured  by  mar 
riage. 

The  physical  organism  of  woman  is  adapted  to  child- 
bearing.  This  is  an  end  of  her  being.  Considering  the 
human  race  merely  as  animals,  this  is  a  most  important 


ADVANTAGES   AND   DISADVANTAGES.  549 

end.  The  organs,  frame,  and  instincts  show  that  the  propa- 
gation of  her  species  was  intended  to  be  secured.  Nature 
creates  nothing  without  a  purpose,  and  yields  the  richest 
blessings  where  her  laws  are  followed,  most  closely  ;  and, 
conversely,  she  is  severely  unrelenting  in  punishing  those 
who  neglect  or  defy  natural  laws.  These  are  general  rules, 
and  have  some  exceptions.  Indeed,  from  the  very  nature 
of  society  there  must  be  those  women  who  cannot  marry, 
or  who,  having  married,  cannot  bear  children. 

The  woman  who  never  marries  enjoys  some  advantages 
over  the  one  who  does..  She  escapes  the  drudgery  and 
cares  incident  to  governing  a  household,  and  the  restric- 
tions on  liberty  necessary  to  the  rearing  of  a  family.  The 
woman  who  makes  a  home  bright,  orderly  and  cheerful, 
and  who  rears  three  or  four  children,  has  little  time  to 
devote  to  herself.  Marrying  at  perhaps  twenty-two  or 
twenty-five,  for  ten  years  to  come  —  or  until  her  youngest 
child  can  be  left  without  anxiety  —  she  must  give  her 
whole  attention  to  home.  These  are  the  ten  best  years  of 
her  life  ;  the  years  when  she  would  most  enjoy  the  pleas- 
ures of  society  and  enter  most  heartily  into  its  amusements. 
Her  celibate  sister,  if  she  have  a  material  competence,  can 
come  and  go  at  will.  She  can  give  her  whole  time  to  her- 
self, in  enlarging  her  sphere  of  observation,  in  cultivating 
her  mind,  in  keeping  abreast  with  the  progress  of  the 
world. 

She  escapes,  also,  the  pains  and  dangers  peculiar  to 
maternity  and  the  ravages  which  such  trials  make  upon 
the  system.  Mothers  are  never  without  concern  for  their 


55O        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

little  ones,  who  have  to  run  the  gauntlet  of  a  thousand 
diseases  and  an  incalculable  number  of  accidents. 
Anxious  solicitude  by  day  and  night  wears  upon  the 
mother,  and  robs  her  of  freedom  to  enjoy  personal  com- 
fort. When  the  children  reach  maturity,  she  still  is 
concerned  about  them  as  they  go  out  into  the  moral 
temptations  and  pitfalls  which  lie  along  the  course  of  life. 
The  unmarried  woman  escapes  all  this.  Her  life  is  free 
and  her  mind  is  free. 

Even  if  she  be  a  poor  girl  and  compelled  to  earn  her  own 
living  there  are  now  numberless  avenues  in  this  country 
in  which  she  can  earn  a  comfortable  living  and  lay  by 
somewhat  for  old  age.  Thousands  of  women  are  doing 
this  to-day.  Almost  all  the  professions  are  open  to  her, 
and,  as  with  men,  merit  and  industry  are  certain  to  insure 
success.  Teaching  in  public  and  private  institutions  has 
become  very  largely  the  work  of  women,  while  telegra- 
phy, stenography,  type-writing,  etc. ,  offer  opportunities 
for  earning  excellent  salaries  at  work  congenial  to  her 
disposition,  and  for  which  she  is  peculiarly  adapted. 
Literature  and  journalism  in  most  of  its  departments 
afford  women  of  intellectual  culture  a  wide  and  rich  field, 
into  which  many  have  already  entered  and  are  reaping  a 
bountiful  harvest. 

Her  social  advantages  are  many  and  she  has  the 
liberty  to  take  advantage  of  all.  The  democratic  spirit 
of  America  allows  no  distinctions  which  one's  own  merit 
^o  not  originate.  The  man  or  woman  who  is  intelligent, 
rionest  an-d  pure,  has  an  open  sesame  to  cultured  social 


ADVANTAGES    AND    DISADVANTAGES.  551 

circles.  Poverty  and  labor  do  not  debar  from  entrance 
iuto  or  enjoyment  of  the  best  society.  Her  sex  is  her 
protection  and  a  point  of  advantage  if  she  have  qualities 
which  entertain  and  please. 

One  essential  disadvantage  of  the  single  life  to  a  woman 
is  that  she  cannot  always  remain  young.  Indeed,  the 
facts  of  observation  and  experience  decide  that  she  cannot 
maintain  her  youth  of  body,  mind  and  disposition,  so  long 
as  her  married  sister.  Many  married  women  never  grow 
old  in  mind  ;  they  renew  their  youth  in  their  children  and 
are  fresh  and  cheerful  long  after  there  are  "  silver  threads 
among  the  gold."  Few  unmarried  women  are  able  to  do 
this.  The  acid  disposition  and  censorious  spirit  commonly 
attributed  to  the  spinster  of  forty  or  more,  is  only  colored  ; 
it  has  a  basis  of  truth  in  natural  causes.  There  is  occa- 
sionally to  be  found  an  unmarried  woman  who  grows  old 
without  losing  her  amiability  and  sweetness,  but  these 
cases  are  not  numerous.  If  a  woman  deliberately  elects 
to  remain  single,  she  must  take  the  risk  of  becoming  sour, 
exacting  and  disagreeable. 

Another  decided  disadvantage  is  that  she  misses  the 
completeness  of  life,  the  fullness  of  development  and  the 
profundity  of  happiness  which  comes  to  the  wife  and 
mother.  Standing  afar  off  and  separate  from  the  full- 
blown mother-love,  the  care  of  children  appears  to  be  an 
irksome,  wearying  task.  Ask  the  mother  and  she  will  say 
that  she  would  not  part  with  one  care.  Each  has  its  com- 
pensation in  the  satisfying  joy  that  wells  up  in  her  soul  in 
the  possession  of  her  husband's  and  children's  love.  It  is 


-LIE  1=  IE 


552  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

a  happiness  that  cannot  be  measured  ;  a  satisfaction  and 
comfort  that  nothing  else  can  give.  There  are  depths  to 
a  woman's  nature  that  are  never  fathomed  until  she 
becomes  a  mother.  There  are  sources  of  happiness  that 
remain  sealed  until  opened  up  by  the  prattle  and  caresses 
of  the  toddling  infant. 

She  misses,  also,  the  delight  of  having  a  home  -of  her 
own.  A  place  that  is  sacred  to  domestic  enjoyment, 
which  she  herself  creates  and  of  which  she  is  the  queen. 
Home  has  its  cares  and  its  trials,  but  there  is  no  place  like 
it  on  earth.  There  is  no  real,  desirable  life  without  a 
home  somewhere  in  it.  It  is  not  sentiment,  but  the  most 
prosaic  practical  common  sense  which  attributes  to  the 
home  and  the  home  life  all  the  virtues  that  are  noble,  all 
the  happiness  that  abides  and  satiates.  The  unmarried 
woman  or  man  can  never  have  a  home  in  the  full  sense  of 
the  term.  The  essential  factor  is  wanting  and  always  must 
be  wanting.  Old  age  has  no  cheerless  prospect  to  the 
wife  and  mother.  It  is  full  of  a  serene  calmness  and  holy 

joy- 
Marriage  and  maternity  is  the  better  way.  There  are 
trials  but  there  are  adequate  compensations.  Celibacy 
may  escape  some  physical  ills,  but  it  leads  to  others. 
It  has  its  liberty  and  independence,  but  it  has  also  its 
selfishness  and  its  barrenness. 


-  . 

i    HfjHJJ 

r 


SPREADING  THE  NEWS. 


DISEASES  OF  WOMEN. 


General    Remarks. 

IN  a  work  of  the  present  limits  it  will  be  impossible  to 
speak  of  all  the  ailments  incident  to  womanhood.  Refer- 
ence will  be  made,  however,  to  the  most  common,  the 
leading  features  of  which  will  be  succintly  and  faithfully 
presented. 

It  is  not,  however,  expected  that  women  uneducated 
in  medicine  will  be  enabled  to  treat  all  the  forms  of  disease 
mentioned  in  this  volume.  Disease  not  infrequently  assumes 
a  very  severe  form  ;  hence,  the  attention  of  some  skilled 
practitioner  will  be  promptly  required  in  order  to  maintain 
the  forces  of  life  against  the  ravages  of  disease. 

The  diseases  treated  in  this  work  will  generally  yield  to 
the  remedies  suggested,  and,  therefore,  these  may  be 
regarded  as  eminently  reliable  for  their  curative  effects.  The 
prime  intention  or  object  is  not  to  treat  of  disease  as  disease, 
but  of  woman  in  her  liability  to  certain  disorders.  The 
physical  constitution  of  woman  and  her  physiological 
functions  render  her  liable  to  ailments  which  are  peculiar 
to  herself,  and  commonly  and  currently  referred  to  as 
"  female  diseases."  In  the  incipiency  of  many  of  these, 
proper  precautions  intelligently  taken  will  often  ward  off 
the  more  serious  form  of  the  complaint. 

553 


554        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

Woman  is  naturally  modest  and  sensitive.  She 
instinctively  shrinks  from  revealing,  even  to  an  intrusted 
counselor,  the  fact  that  she  is  troubled  with  disagreeable 
symptoms  or  functional  disturbances  in  her  sexual  organs. 
She  shrinks  still  more  from  treatment  at  the  hands  of 
another.  She  is  not  likely,  in  most  cases,  to  give  an 
intelligent  statement  of  the  disorders  which  she  knows  to 
exist.  To  treat  her  is  an  embarrassing  task,  even  at  best, 
and  is  rendered  doubly  so  by  her  inability  to  clearly, 
definitely  and  satisfactorily  state  the  case. 

For  reasons  like  these  it  is  thought  that  many  women 
may  be  benefited  by  having  stated,  for  them,  the  symp- 
toms of  a  few  of  the  principal  complaints  to  which  their 
organisms  are  liable.  I  shall  point  out  remedies  which 
she  herself  can  safely  apply.  She  can  at  least  be  enabled 
to  know,  in  most  instances,  whether  or  not  the  discomfort 
she  feels  be  the  symptoms  of  serious  complaints,  and  can 
know  when  to  call  in  her  medical  adviser  in  time  to  derive 
the  full  benefit  of  his  skill. 

In  another  part  of  this  work,  describing  the  symptoms 
of  pregnancy,  general  directions  for  the  hygienic  regula- 
tions of  the  period  were  given.  These  need  not  be  repeated 
here,  though  properly  coming  under  this  classification. 
This  chapter  will  be  devoted  to  what  is  technically  termed 
therapeutics  —  that  is,  the  treatment  of  diseases.  The 
diseases  noted  will  be  those  to  which  women  are  liable 
during  the  child-bearing  period  of  life. 

Many  physicians,  in  the  present  advanced  state  of 
medical  science,  maintain  that  a  woman  in  perfect  health, 


GENERAL   REMARKS.  555 

who  carefully  observes  and  practices  the  plain  laws  of  health, 
and  who  is  prudent,  temperate  and  careful  in  the  exercise 
of  marital  relations,  will  escape  these  complaints.  Marriage 
and  marital  intercourse  are  natural  and  right.  What  is 
natural  and  proper  ought  not  and  need  not  involve  any 
evil  consequences.  The  diseases  of  the  pregnancy-period 
are  both  unnatural  and  unnecessary.  The  reasonable  and 
moderate  exercise  of  the  procreative  instincts  and  impulses 
is  in  harmony  with  natural  law  and  order,  and  ought  not 
to  produce  disorder. 

It  is  observed  that  in  the  lower  animal  world,  cohabita- 
tion, pregnancy  and  parturition  are  unattended  with 
such  calamities  as  befall  womankind.  Is  man  an  excep- 
tion, in  this  regard,  to  the  general  harmony  of  natural 
works?  It  is  not  in  keeping  with  the  wisdom  of  the  great 
Author  of  Life  that  disease  of  any  kind  should  be  the 
result  of  the  execution  of  natural  laws  ;  it  should  only  be 
the  penalty  attached  to  the  violation  of  law.  God,  in  the 
great  scheme  of  providential  dealings  with  His  creatures, 
placed  them  upon  this  beautiful  heritage  of  earth,  endowed 
with  minds  susceptible  of  the  highest  development,  and  a 
physical  organism  of  the  most  infinite  perfection,  that  the 
waste  resulting  from  the  wear  in  operation  should  be  so 
insidiously  replenished  as  to  incur  no  special  clash  in  its 
normal  movement. 

Enjoying,  then,  as  we  do,  such  exquisite  perfection  in 
construction  and  perfect  adaptation  of  the  several  parts  to 
the  end  designed,  it  requires  no  great  stretch  of  the  imagi- 
nation to  infer  that,  in  the  proper  exercise  of  the  physical 


556  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

economy,  the  several  organs  should  perform  their  alloted 
work  without  friction.  Hence,  all  diseases  are  the  result 
of  the  violation  of  the  laws  of  our  being,  either  by  acts  of 
omission  or  commission. 

We  may  commit  a  crime  against  our  own  bodies  by 
neglecting  to  supply  anything  which  is  manifestly  neces- 
sary for  their  sustentation  and  preservation  ;  or,  we  may 
be  equally  criminal  by  imposing  upon  them  damaging 
burdens  to  carry  or  hardships  to  endure.  The  natural 
result  of  improprieties  is  damage  to  the  parts  involved, 
and  such  damage  has  received  the  common  cognomen, 
disease. 

Whether  or  not  it  can  be  fully  established  that  all 
physical  suffering  is  the  consequence  of  the  violation  of 
physical  law,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that  such  suffer- 
ing is  greatly  enhanced  by  an  improper  course  of  living. 
Disease,  then,  being  a  violation  of  law,  health,  which  is 
opposite,  must  be  an  observance  of  law. 

Definition    of   Disease. 

Health  is  the  standard  condition  of  the  living  body, 
but  it  is  not  easy  to  express  that  condition  in  a  few  words, 
nor  is  it  necessary.  We  should  aim  at  being  well  under- 
stood, rather  than  to  be  scholarly,  and  were  the  attempt 
made  to  lay  down  a  strict  and  scientific  definition,  it 
would  likely  puzzle  both  writer  and  reader.  I  shall,  per- 
haps, be  well  understood  when  I  define  health  by  saying 
that  it  implies  freedom  from  pain  and  sickness,  and  from 
all  those  changes  in  the  body  that  endanger  life  or  impede 
the  easy  and  effective  exercise  of  the  vital  functions 


DEFINITION    OF   DISEASE.  557 

It  s  plain,  therefore,  that  health  does  not  signify  any 
immutable  condition  of  the  body.  The  standard  of 
health  varies  in  different  individuals,  according  to  age, 
sex  and  original  constitution,  and  in  the  same  persons 
even  from  week  to  week,  or  from  day  to  day.  Neither 
does  health  imply  the  integrity  of  all  the  organs  of  the 
body.  It  is  not  incompatible  with  great  and  permanent 
alterations,  nor  even  with  the  loss  of  parts  that  are  not 
vital,  as  an  arm,  a  leg,  or  an  eye. 

If  this  definition  of  health  be  comprehended  and 
accepted,  it  naturally  follows  that  disease  —  the  antipode 
of  health  —  may  be  defined  simply  as  some  deviation  from 
the  condition  of  health.  Cold  is  the  absence  of  heat  ;  it 
is  the  negative  of  a  positive.  Health  is  positive,  disease 
negative.  Disease,  then,  is  an  abnormal  condition  of  the 
body  ;  some  uneasy  or  unnatural  sensation,  of  which  the 
patient  may  be  aware,  or  some  unsafe  or  hidden  condition 
of  which  he  may  be  quite  unconscious  ;  some  embarrass- 
ment of  functional  action  perceptible  to  himself  or  others. 
In  short,  some  mode  of  being,  or  of  action  or  of  feeling, 
different  from  that  which  obtains  in  health. 

The  number  of  these  deviations  from  the  standard  of 
health  —  that  is,  the  number  of  diseases  —  if  we  include  all 
their  differences  in  kind  and  degree,  is  scarcely  calculable. 
The  purpose  at  this  time  and  in  this  work  is  to  refer  only 
to  those  most  common  which  especially  attack  the  female 
organism. 

With  this  imperfect  definition  of  disease,  a  few  of  the 
leading  causes  of  some  of  these  deviations  from  health  will 


558        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD.' 

be  given,  that  women  may  be  the  better  able  to  forestall 
or  prevent  them,  and  thereby  reap  the  benefit  of  the 
adage  that  "  an  ounce  of  prevention  is  worth  a  pound  of 
cure." 

There  are  two  principal  causes  of  disease,  namely, 
predisposing  and  exciting. 

In  the  strictest  sense,  an  event  is  held  to  be  caused  by 
another  event  which  preceded  it.  Were  the  first  absent, 
the  second  would  never  follow  ;  if  the  first  be  present,  the 
second  never  fails  to  occur.  This  rule,  however,  is  too 
arbitrary  to  apply  to  the  causes  of  disease.  We  perceive 
that  such  and  such  circumstances  often  precede  such  and 
such  diseases,  and  that  the  diseases  seldom  happen  with- 
out the  previous  observance  of  the  same  circumstances. 
Consequently,  we  begin  to  regard  those  circumstances  as 
the  specific  cause  of  those  diseases.  We  find  that  the 
diseases  are  most  common  among  those  who  have  been 
exposed  to  the  agency  of  the  suspected  causes.  This  may 
seem  at  first  to  be  only  presumptive  evidence,  but  when, 
from  observation,  we  find  that  almost  uniformly  such 
diseases  follow  in  the  wake  of  such  suspected  causes,  we 
have  to  assign  to  the  two  consecutive  events  the  relation 
of  cause  arid  effect. 

But,  because  certain  suspected  causes  are  not  immedi- 
ately followed  by  the  same  results,  we  have  no  disproof 
of  the  influence  of  the  suspected  cause  in  the  result. 
Some  persons  are  more  easily  influenced  by  those  circum- 
stances than  others  ;  even  the  same  person  is  more  liable 
to  be  influenced  by  the  same  circumstances  at  one  time 


DEFINITION    OF   DISEASE.  559 

than  another.  And  special  circumstances,  existing  in 
certain  cases,  will  account  in  some  degree  for  this  variable 
operation  of  causes  always  producing  the  same  effect. 
These  special  circumstances  may  properly  be  called 
predispositions.  Thus,  if  ten  persons  be  exposed  to  the 
same  noxious  influence,  such  as  a  severe  douching  with 
water  succeeded  by  extreme  cold,  one  may  be  affected 
with  catarrh,  another  with  rheumatism,  one  with  pneu- 
monia, a  fourth  with  inflammation  of  the  bowels,  and  the 
remaining  six  may  escape  unharmed.  Or  a  woman  may 
do  that  to-day  which  at  another  time  would  jeopardize  her 
life. 

It  is  not,  therefore,  the  cause  alone  that  in  all  cases 
determines  the  disease.  Sometimes  very  much,  or  per- 
haps all,  depends  upon  the  condition  of  the  body  at  the 
time  when  the  cause  is  applied,  and  this  condition  of  the 
body  with  evil  predisposition  results  from  circumstances 
then  in  operation  ;  and  these  circumstances  are  called 
"predisposing  causes." 

We  might,  then,  define  a  "  predisposing  cause  "  to  be 
anything  whatever  which  has  had  such  a  previous  influence 
upon  the  body  as  to  have  rendered  it  unusually  suscep- 
tible to  the  specific  causes  of  the  particular  disease. 

Disease  may  sometimes  be  averted,  even  despite 
strong  and  fixed  predisposition  to  it,  if  we  know  and  can 
guard  against  the  agencies  by  which  it  is  capable  of  being 
excited.  A  man  may  inherit  a  proclivity  to  consumption, 
yet  fortunately  escape  that  fatal  complaint  by  timely 
removal  to  a  warm  and  equable  climate,  and  by  other 


560        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

suitable  precautions  —  that  is,  by  avoiding  whatever  tends 
to  rouse  the  dormant  tendency  into  action.  On  the  other 
hand,  disease  may  often  be  warded  off,  notwithstanding 
the  presence  and  application  of  its  specific  cause,  when  its 
"  predisposing  causes  "  are  ascertained  and  can  be  pre- 
vented. In  proportion  as  the  body  is  weakened  or 
exhausted,  it  yields  more  readily  to  the  pernicious 
influence  of  contagious  diseases.  By  obviating  all  causes 
of  debility,  and  fortifying  the  system,  we  walk  with  com- 
parative security  amid  surrounding  pestilence.  Diseases 
sometimes  occur  when  no  specific  cause  —  when  no  cause 
at  all  —  has  been  apparent.  All  that  can  be  said  in 
such  cases,  is  that  the  causes  have  not,  as  yet,  been 
discovered. 

The  ascertained  causes  of  disease  are  many  and 
various.  Whatever  ministers  to  life,  health  or  enjoyment 
may  become,  under  varying  circumstances,  the  medium 
of  pain,  disease  and  death.  The  atmosphere  in  which  we 
are  constantly  immersed  is  full  of  dangers.  Both  the 
organic  and  inorganic  world  around  us  are  full  of  poisons. 
They  lurk  in  our  very  food,  which  becomes  pernicious 
when  taken  in  excess,  or  when  it  consists  of  certain 
substances  or  certain  admixtures  of  substances  ;  there 
really  was  much  truth  in  the  startling  motto  of  Mr. 
Accum's  book  on  adulterations  :  "  There  is  death  in  the 
pot."  Our  passions  and  emotions,  also,  nay  even  some  of 
our  better  impulses,  when  strained  or  perverted,  tend  to 
our  physical  destruction.  The  seeds  of  decay  are  within 
as  well  as  around  us.  Let  us  enumerate,  however,  a  little 
more  particularly,  the  various  known  sources  of  disease. 


DEFINITION   OF   DISEASE.  561 

We  shall  pass  over,  in  this  enumeration,  nearly  all 
chemical  and  mechanical  injuries,  as  they  belong  to 
another  department  of  medicine.  If  we  look  to  atmos- 
pherical causes,  we  shall  find  that  those  variations  in  the 
state  of  the  air  which  proceed  from  differences  of  degree 
in  natural  qualities  may  be  productive  of  disease  —  such 
as  extremes  of  heat,  and  of  cold  ;  sudden  variations  of 
temperature  ;  excessive  moisture  or  excessive  dryness  ; 
different  electric  conditions  ;  difference  of  pressure  as 
measured  by  the  barometer  ;  a  deficiency  of  light,  etc. 
Again,  the  atmosphere  may  be  a  source  of  disease  in  con- 
sequence of  its  being  loaded  with  impurities.  Malaria, 
contagions  of  various  kinds,  and  noxious  gasses  in  general, 
may  be  considered  as  so  many  poisons. 

Under  the  head  of  nutriment  we  may  place  the  use  of 
food  of  which  the  quality  is  bad  and  hurtful.  This  cause 
also  strictly  belongs  to  the  class  of  poisons.  Again,  it 
may  be  an  insufficient  supply  of  healthy  food.  A  still 
more  common  cause  is  an  excess  in  eating  and  intemper- 
ance in  drinking.  The  numerous  poisons  that  are  not 
comprehended  under  either  of  the  foregoing  heads  are 
also  prolific  sources  of  disease. 

Another  great  class  among  the  causes  of  disease  might 
be  formed  by  considering  together  the  influence  of  various 
trades  and  vocations  which  are  directly  injurious  to  the 
health  of  those  who  pursue  them.  We  know  by  example 
and  experience  that  a  certain  amount  of  bodily  exercise  is 
essential  to  good  health.  We  see  the  evil  consequences 
of  m  uch  overstepping  that  amount  in  the  deformities  and 


562        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

disorders  which  resi  It  from  labor  too  severe,  or  too  long 
continued.  But  a  much  more  numerous  train  of 
complaints  follow  the  opposite  state  —  that  in  which,  from 
indolence  or  necessity,  but  little  exercise  is  taken. 

Excessive  indulgence  in  sleep,  on  the  one  hand,  and 
long  continued  want  or  interruption  of  repose  on  the 
other,  are  apt  to  give  rise  to  serious  maladies. 

Many  diseases  have  a  mental  origin.  Excessive  intel- 
lectual toil,  the  domination  of  violent  passions,  the 
frequent  recurrence  of  strong  mental  emotions,  vicious  and 
exhausting  indulgences  —  each  and  all  will  sap  the  strength 
and  grievously  impair  the  health  of  the  body.  Perhaps 
there  is  no  cause  of  corporeal  disease  more  clearly  made 
out  and  more  certainly  effective  than  protracted  anxiety 
and  distress  of  mind. 

When  we  add  to  this  catalogue  of  the  sources  of 
disease,  all  those  morbid  tendencies  which  are  hereditary, 
and  those  which  flow  from  original  malformation  and 
are  irremediable,  we  shall  have  a  tolerably  complete  list 
of  the  manifold  dangers  to  which  our  mortal  frames  are 
continually  liable. 

There  are  several  points  of  view  under  which  the 
consideration  of  these  causes  of  disease  might  be  shown 
to  be  interesting.  We  might  inquire,  for  example,  which 
of  them  are  predisposing,  which  specific  causes,  and  what 
are  the  circumstances  which  are  found  to  render  the  same 
agent  at  one  time  merely  a  predisposing,  and  at  another 
time  a  specific  cause.  We  might  also  separate,  with  some 
advantage,  those  causes  of  disease  to  which  the  human 


THE   VARIOUS   KINDS   OF   PULSE.  563 

body  is  often  and  necessarily  exposed,  and  those  that 
consist  in  agencies  that  are  of  a  local  or  temporary  exist- 
ence only.  But  such  distinctions  would  require  more 
exhaustive  treatment  than  is  possible  in  this  work.  The 
nature  and  mode  of  operation  of  these  causes  is  a  very 
fruitful  field  of  inquiry,  but  our  limited  space,  as  well  as 
the  object  of  the  work,  forbid  entering  upon  it. 

The  Various  Kinds  of  Pulse. 

The  pulse  is  the  beating  of  the  arteries  following  the 
contractile  action  of  the  heart.  The  radial  artery  at  the 
wrist  is  commonly  made  use  of  in  order  to  ascertain  the 
force,  frequency,  etc.,  of  the  general  circulation.  An 
examination  of  the  pulse,  taken  in  connection  with  other 
symptoms,  is  often  of  the  greatest  utility  to  the  physician 
in  enabling  him  to  determine  the  peculiar  character  of 
different  diseases. 

Not  merely  the  frequency  and  force,  but  the  fullness, 
hardness,  etc. ,  as  well  as  the  opposite  characteristics  are 
to  be  carefully  noted.  It  is,  however,  of  the  utmost 
importance  that  we  take  into  consideration  those  varia- 
tions, temporary  or  otherwise,  which  are  not  necessarily 
dependent  on  a  state  of  disease. 

Not  only  may  the  force  and  frequency  of  the  pulse  be 
greatly  increased  by  a  mere  temporary  cause  (such,  for 
example,  as  extraordinary  exertion,  sudden  alarm,  etc.), 
but,  owing  to  certain  constitutional  peculiarities,  the  pulse 
of  some  persons  in  a  state  of  perfect  health  is  uniformly 
much  more  frequent  than  the  general  average  in  man.  As 


564        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

a  rule  the  pulse  in  a  person  of  an  excitable  temperament  is 
considerably  more  frequent  than  in  a  man  of  an  opposite 
character.  It  is  usually  more  frequent  in  women  than 
men.  It  is  estimated  that  the  pulse  of  an  adult  male,  at 
rest  in  a  state  of  perfect  health,  has  from  sixty-five  to 
seventy-five  beats  per  minute.  An  infant  at  birth  has 
from  one  hundred  and  twenty  to  one  hundred  and  forty 
pulsations  per  minute  ;  a  child  a  year  old,  from  one  hun- 
dred and  ten  to  one  hundred  and  twenty  ;  at  three  years 
old,  from  ninety  to  one  hundred  ;  at  ten,  from  eighty-five 
to  ninety  ;  at  puberty,  about  eighty.  As  life  advances, 
the  pulse  usually  becomes  slower,  until  the  infirmities  of 
age  begin,  when,  as  a  result  of  debility,  it  is  often  increased 
in  frequency.  Of  the  different  kinds  or  characters  of  the 
pulse,  the  following  are,  perhaps,  the  most  deserving  of 
notice  : 

1.  Dicrotic  Pulse. — That  in  which  the  finger  is  struck 
twice  (first  forcibly,  then  lightly)  at  every  pulsation. 

2.  Filiform   (or  thread-like]  Pulse. — That   in  which 
the    pulsating  artery  seems   so  narrow  as   to   resemble  a 
thread. 

3.  Gaseous  Pulse. — One   in  which  the  artery  seems 
full  and  very  soft,  as  if  it  were  filled  with  air. 

4.  Hard  Pulse. — One  which  does  not  yield  under  the 
firm  pressure  of  the  finger. 

5.  Intermittent  Pulse. — One  in  which  the  pulsation 
every  now  and  then  fails,  or   seems  altogether  wanting. 
This  is  a  common  symptom  in  disease  of  the  heart,  though 
not  infrequently  resulting  from  derangement  of  the  nervous 
system,  caused  by  dyspepsia. 


THE   VARIOUS   KINDS   OF   PULSE.  $65 

6.  Jerking  Pu/se.—One  in  which  the  artery  seems  to 
strike  the  finger  with  a  sudden  start  or  jerk. 

7.  Quick  Pulse. — One   which  has  a  quick  or  sudden 
beat,  though  the  intervals  between  the  beats  may  be  of 
the  usual  length. 

8.  Small  Pulse. — One    in  which  the    pulsations  are 
both  slender  and  weak. 

9.  Tense   Pulse. — One    in    which    the    artery    seems 
stretched  or  filled  to  its  utmost  capacity.     It  resembles  a 
hard  pulse,  but  is  more  elastic. 

10.  Wiry  Pulse. — -Not  thread-like,  but  very  hard,  as 
well  as  narrow,  and  seeming  to  strike  the  finger  as  small 
tense  wire. 

The  signification  of  the  other  terms  applied  to  the 
pulse  —  as  bounding,  feeble,  frequent,  full,  soft,  etc. — 
seem  so  simple  and  obvious  that  it  is  not  necessary  to 
speak  specifically  of  them. 

Something  more  may  be  said  of  the  qualities  of  the 
pulse.  Those  that  are  most  important  are  its  frequency, 
regularity,  fullness  and  force.  We  have  given  the  normal 
number  of  beats  in  a  person  in  health,  per  minute, 
at  different  ages.  In  disease  there  is  quite  a  wide 
range,  according  to  observance,  between  the  degrees  of 
frequency  in  different  kinds  of  attack.  It  must  not  be 
forgotten  that  the  position  of  the  individual  at  the  time  of 
the  examination  of  the  pulse  has  an  influence  over  its 
frequency.  Its  beats  are  more  numerous  in  the  standing 
than  in  the  sitting  posture  ;  in  the  sitting  than  in  the 
recumbent. 


566  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

In  disease  the  pulse  may  acquire  a  degree  of  frequency 
which  is  scarcely  calculable  by  the  touch,  and  less  so 
because,  when  extremely  frequent,  it  is  also  extremely 
feeble.  Watson  says  he  has  reckoned  by  aid  of  the 
stethoscope  216  pulsations  of  the  heart  per  minute.  On 
the  other  hand,  in  cases  of  apoplexy,  or  where  syncope  is 
impending,  or  certain  organic  affections  of  the  heart,  the 
pulse  may  become  extremely  slow.  Dr.  Chambers  reports 
the  case  of  an  old  gentleman  whose  spinal  column  had 
received  some  injury,  whose  pulse  fell  as  low  as  nine  beats 
per  minute. 

A  great  deal  may  be  learned  of  certain  diseases  from 
the  frequency  and  regularity  of  the  pulse.  Irregularity  of 
the  pulse  is  another  condition  which  is  often  full  of  mean- 
ing and  interest,  inasmuch  as  it  may  be  found  both  in  the 
sick  and  well.  Some  persons  have  naturally  an  irregular 
pulse.  Irregularity  of  the  pulse  may  be  caused  by  organic 
diseases  of  the  heart,  by  simple  disorders  of  the  stomach, 
or  be  the  result  of  debility,  and  the  prelude  to  the 
stoppage  of  the  heart's  action. 

Another  important  quality  of  the  pulse  is  what  is  called 
its  hardness  or  compressibility.  In  this  character  of  pulse 
you  will  not  be  able  to  abolish  the  pulse  by  any  degree  of 
pressure.  The  blood  will  still  force  its  way  through  the 
artery  beneath  your  finger.  This  quality  is  generally 
found  in  patients  where  there  is  existing  inflammation, 
and  was  the  signal  in  former  times  for  displaying  a 
lancet. 

Wasting  or  emaciation  is  sometimes  the  first  symptom 
of  disease.  This  may  be  seen  in  the  countenance  at  a 


MORNING   SICKNESS   AND    VOMITING.  567 

very  early  period.  It  occurs  frequently  in  complaints  that 
are  not  dangerous,  as  dyspepsia,  and  in  those  peculiarly 
nervous  women  who  shall  be  spoken  of  hereafter. 

We  have  examples  of  symptoms  that  consist  of 
changes  of  color  —  in  the  flushed  face  of  fever;  in  the 
pallor  belonging  to  many  diseases  ;  in  the  contrast  exhib- 
ited between  the  white  cheek,  with  its  central  red  spot,  so 
characteristic  of  hectic  fever,  and  in  the  yellowness  of  the 
skin  and  eyes,  in  jaundice. 

The  various  appearances  of  the  tongue  are  to  the 
observer  a  symptom  of  the  character  of  disease.  The 
heavy,  white  coat  is  present  in  acute  inflammation,  as 
pleurisy  ;  the  clean,  smooth  and  red  tongue  shows  a 
diseased  condition  of  the  mucous  membrane,  of  the  ali- 
mentary canal,  etc. 

These  remarks  on  the  causes  of  disease  ;  the  character- 
istic qualities  of  the  pulse  ;  the  general  emaciation  and 
expression  of  the  countenance  ;  color  of  the  skin  and 
appearance  of  the  tongue  may  enable  you  to  form  some 
intelligent  idea  of  what  constitutes  the  difference  between 
health  and  disease,  that  you  may  know  when  there  is  a 
necessity  for  alarm,  that  valuable  lives  may  not  be  lost 
through  neglect,  nor  unnecessary  concern  be  had  when 
but  little  is  the  matter. 

Morning  Sickness  and  Vomiting. 

Reference  was  made  to  this  peculiar  disease  of  women 
in  the  review  of  the  symptoms  of  pregnancy.  We  need 
not  go  into  any  lengthy  description  of  it  here.  Nausea 


568  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

and  vomiting  are  very  common,  generally  on  first  rising 
in  the  morning.  Vomiting  illness  sometimes  commences 
immediately  after  conception,  but  usually  not  until  after 
the  second  month,  and  generally  lasts  until  after  the  fourth 
month.  Generally,  there  is  nausea  rather  than  vomiting. 
The  woman  feels  sick  and  unable  to  eat  her  breakfast,  and 
often  brings  up  some  glairy  fluid.  In  other  cases  she 
actually  vomits,  and  sometimes  the  sickness  is  so  excessive 
as  to  resist  all  treatment  and  seriously  affect  the  patient's 
health,  and  even  imperil  her  life. 

No  satisfactory  reason  has  as  yet  been  adduced  for  the 
'cause  of  this  disease.  The  opinion  that  has  met  with  the 
most  favor  is  that  it  is  the  result  of  the  stretching 
of  the  uterine  fibers  by  the  growth  of  the  ovum. 
But  even  to  this  theory  there  exists  the  objection  that  in 
many  cases  the  sickness  is  coincident  with  conception,  and 
before  there  is  time  for  the  development  of  the  ovum 
sufficient  to  make  any  pressure  upon  the  uterine  fibers. 
Notwithstanding  it  is  a  very  distressing  ailment,  it  has 
generally,  by  observance,  been  regarded  as  a  favorable 
condition,  and  indicates  a  safe  pregnancy. 

The  danger  in  this  disorder  arises  mainly  from  its  being 
mistaken  for  some  more  serious  disease  of  the  stomach, 
for  which  there  might  be  administered  such  treatment  as 
would  produce  an  abortion.  This  mistake  is  not  likely  to 
be  made  by  women  who  have  had  children  and  have  been 
thus  troubled,  but  by  women  in  their  first  pregnancy. 
Especially  so,  if  they  have  lived  with  a  husband  for  several 
years  without  issue.  The  nausea  and  vomiting  of  preg- 


MORNING   SICKNESS   AND   VOMITING.  569 

nancy  are  generally  felt  in  the  morning  upon  assuming  an 
erect  position,  while  the  disturbance  of  the  stomach  pro- 
duced from  other  causes  is  more  or  less  present  at  any 
time  of  the  day. 

Treatment. 

Rest  in  bed  will  prevent  an  attack,  and  it  being  a  dis- 
order that  will  of  itself  disappear  in  a  short  time,  many 
women  can  afford  to  take  this  prescription.  Regulate  the 
bowels  by  seidlitz  powders,  karlsbad  and  effervescing 
waters.  Carbonic  acid  acts  as  a  carminative  and  anodyne. 
For  vomiting  from  acidity  of  the  stomach  take  bicarb, 
potass,  two  drachms  ;  spirits  of  ammonia,  aromatic,  half- 
ounce  ;  peppermint  water,  two  ounces  ;  mix  and  take  a 
teaspoonful  when  necessary  to  relieve  the  acidity.  For 
vomiting  from  irritation,  spirits  of  chloroform,  one 
drachm  ;  tincture  of  ginger,  two  ounces  ;  mix  and  take 
twenty  drops  at  each  meal. 

Oxalate  of  cerium,  twenty-four  grains  ;  ext.  of  gen- 
tian, six  "grains  ;  mix  and  make  three  pills,  take  one  pill 
at  meal-time. 

Citrate  of  caffein,  in  from  one  to  two  grain  doses. 

The  bromide  of  potassium  in  ten  to  twenty  grain 
doses  as  an  anodyne. 

The  food  should  depend  upon  the  idiosyncracies  of  the 
patient  —  solid  animal  food  with  high  seasoning  for  some; 
barley  water  or  milk  and  lime  water  for  others. 


570  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 


Pains    in    the    Bowels. 

Abdominal  pains  that  are  quite  severe  and  trouble- 
some sometimes  accompany  pregnancy,  more  especially 
in  the  latter  months.  They  may  result  from  two  causes 
—  either  from  the  pressure  of  the  child  upon  the  abdom- 
inal muscles,  or  the  pressure  of  flatus,  which  sometimes  is 
great,  resulting  from  want  of  proper  digestion  of  the  food. 
If  the  pains  proceed  from  pressure  of  the  abdominal 
muscles,  manipulation  by  kneading  lightly  or  rubbing 
the  affected  muscles  will  do  much  toward  relieving  it. 
If  the  pains  proceed  from  flatus,  attention  should  be  paid 
to  the  digestion,  and  appropriate  remedies  administered 
to  improve  it. 

Constipation. 

But  few  diseases  give  women  more  trouble  than  con- 
stipation. It  is  not  only  a  very  troublesome  disorder  in 
pregnancy,  but  it  affects  individuals  at  other  times.  In 
this  disease  of  the  alimentary  canal  the  expulsive  power 
is  either  relatively  or  absolutely  at  fault  ;  the  feces  collect 
in  some  parts  of  the  bowels,  and  are  sometimes  passed 
in  considerable  quantities  at  a  time.  Some  portions  of 
the  stool  may  be  drier  than  other  parts,  and  look  dark- 
brown  or  black  :  they  usually  have  less  smell  than  ordi- 
nary feces. 

Experience  shows  that  one  free  evacuation  from  the 
bowels  daily  is  the  rule  of  health.  But  this  rule  is  not 
without  exceptions.  Some  persons  have  habitually  two 


CONSTIPATION.  571 

or  three  evacuations  daily.  On  the  other  hand,  some 
have  an  evacuation  regularly  every  second  or  third  day 
without  any  of  the  inconveniences  of  constipation.  In 
fact,  persons  of  the  latter  habit  are  apt  to  experience  dis- 
comfort, if,  temporarily,  evacuations  take  place  daily. 

On  determining  the  existence  of  this  affection,  the 
habit  in  health  is,  of  course,  to  be  taken  into  account. 
In  some  cases  the  movement  of  the  bowels  is  delayed 
two  or  three  days,  but  when  it  does  take  place,  it  is 
amply  sufficient.  In  other  cases,  the  act  occurs  daily, 
but  is  insufficient,  and  is  performed  with  difficulty. 

Constipation  gives  rise  to  various  local  morbid  effects, 
such  as  a  feeling  of  pressure  or  weight  in  the  perineum, 
a  sense  of  abdominal  distention  or  uneasiness,  flatulency, 
diarrhea  and  colic  pains.  Hemorrhoids,  or  piles,  are  often 
attributable  to  this  affection.  It  gives  rise,  also,  to  pain 
in  the  head,  dullness  of  the  mind,  flushing  of  the  face, 
palpitation  of  the  heart  and  general  malaise. 

In  a  state  of  health,  the  rectum,  or  lower  part  of  the 
large  bowel,  is  empty.  This  portion  of  the  bowel  is 
endowed  with  a  sensibility  which,  in  health,  gives  notice 
of  the  presence  of  feces,  and  occasions  the  desire  to 
evacuate.  The  ability  to  perform  the  act  involves  a  cer- 
tain contractile  power  in  the  large  intestine,  and  also  in 
the  abdominal  and  other  muscles  which  cooperate  in  the 
performance  of  the  act. 

In  habitual  constipation,  the  contractile  powers  of  the 
intestine  are  impaired  by  distention.  The  distention  may 
be  owing  to  the  large  quantity  of  fecal  matter  in  the 


5/2  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

bowel  ;  but  is  generally  the  result  of  the  habitual  neglect 
of  the  calls  of  Nature.  The  desire  to  evacuate  is  neg- 
lected, or,  the  mind  being  preoccupied,  the  call  is 
unheeded  and  the  act  is  postponed,  until  the  sensibility 
departs  and  the  bowel  no  longer  gives  notice  of  fecal 
accumulation.  Hence  the  accumulation  goes  on  ;  the 
rectum  and  other  portions  of  the  bowel  become  distended, 
and  paralysis  follows.  This  is  the  manner  in  which  con- 
stipation, in  a  large  majority  of  chronic  cases,  is  produced. 
The  hurried  performance  of  the  act  of  emptying  the 
bowels,  the  evacuation,  as  a  consequence,  being  incom- 
plete, has,  in  some  degree,  the  same  result  as  the  neglect 
of  the  calls  of  Nature.  In  the  country,  especially,  the  pro- 
vision for  such  act  may  be  uncomfortable,  rendering  the 
acts  disagreeable,  so  that  insufficient  time  is  devoted  to  it. 

There  are  other  circumstances  that  contribute  to  this 
affection.  The  abdominal  muscles  play  an  important  part 
in  the  act  of  moving  the  bowels.  These  muscles  become 
weakened  by  obesity  and  pregnancy.  In  pregnancy  the 
muscles  are  wonderfully  distended,  and  lose  their  con- 
tractile power.  The  muscles  of  the  bowels  themselves, 
as  well  as  the  abdominal  muscles,  lose  their  contractile 
power  from  anemia,  impoverished  blood,  and  other 
enfeebling  conditions  of  the  system.  The  habitual  use 
of  purely  nutritious  food,  which  leaves  but  little  residue, 
contributes  to  constipation.  Sedentary  habits  favor  the 
affection,  as  well  as  too-active  exercise,  by  rendering  the 
assimilation  more  active,  the  liquid  contents  of  the  small 
intestines  being  more  entirely  absorbed. 


CONSTIPATION.  573 

Treatment. 

Occasionally  constipation,  if  slight,  may  be  relieved 
by  a  laxative  pill,  repeated,  if  necessary,  or  by  a  small 
quantity  of  Epsom  or  Rochelle  salts  dissolved  in  a  tumbler 
of  water  and  taken  on  an  empty  stomach.  Congress 
water  may  be  substituted  for  the  salts  just  named.  A 
preferable  method,  which  will  generally  suffice  to  excite 
the  action  of  the  large  bowel,  is  an  injection  of  cold 
water. 

The' practice  of  taking  active  purgatives  to  overcome 
the  habit  of  constipation  cannot  too  strongly  be  con- 
demned. Their  effect  is  to  increase  the  peristaltic  action, 
and  thereby  produce  an  evacuation.  This  will  be  followed 
by  a  corresponding  increase  of  inaction  and  dryness  of  the 
bowels.  The  management  of  habitual  constipation  often 
requires  much  care  and  perseverance  on  the  part  of  the 
patient.  The  object  is  to  procure  regularity  and  efficiency 
in  the  evacuations.  The  means  which  may  be  employed 
are  various,  and  may  be  said  to  consist  of  three  important 
factors — in  their  nature  dietetical,  medicinal  and  mechan- 
ical. 

The  dietetical  method  consists  in  using  articles  freely 
which  leave,  after  digestion,  a  bulky  residuum,  as  cabbage, 
lettuce,  and  the  various  vegetables  known  in  this  country 
as  greens  ;  or  articles  having  a  laxative  property,  as 
molasses,  prunes,  figs,  etc.,  or  articles  with  indigestible 
constituents  which  stimulate  or  irritate  the  alimentary 
canal,  as  bran-bread,  cornmeal,  cracked  wheat,  unbolted- 


574        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

flour  bread.  A  diet  consisting  of  a  part  of  the  foregoing 
articles  will  sometimes  succeed  in  overcoming  habitual 
constipation. 

With  regard  to  the  choice  of  this  class  of  means,  the 
following  practical  rule  should  be  adopted  ;  They  should 
not  be  used  in  preference  to  other  means  if  they  occasion 
indigestion,  or  disorder  of  the  stomach.  More  harm  some- 
times results  from  overloading  the  digestive  organs  with 
articles  of  diet  difficult  of  digestion,  or  subjecting  the 
lining  of  the  bowels  to  the  irritation  of  unbolted  flour,  than 
the  continuance  of  constipation  would  occasion.  A  glass 
of  simple  water  or  carbonated  water,  taken  in  the  morning 
before  breakfast,  is  sometimes  very  efficacious.  Drinking 
half  a  pint  or  more  of  hot  water  before  meals  is  equally 
so. 

The  medicinal  means  are  laxative  medicines.  In  regard 
to  these  the  remedy  used  should  be  mild  and  the  quantity 
as  small  as  will  be  sufficient  to  secure  the  end  sought. 
Active  purgation  is  to  be  avoided.  Some  persons  allow 
the  constipation  to  continue  for  several  days  and  then 
resort  to  large  doses  of  pills  or  some  active  cathartic  to 
give  them  relief.  The  constipation  is  of  course  relieved 
for  a  time,  but  the  constipated  habit  only  becomes  more 
and  more  fixed  by  such  a  course.  Another  important 
rule  is  to  be  observed  in  taking  medicine.  If  more  than 
one  small  dose  of  laxative  medicine  be  required,  the 
remedy  is  better  repeated  in  small  doses  two  or  three  times 
daily,  than  by  giving  one  dose  sufficiently  large  to  produce 
the  effect. 


CONSTIPATION.  575 

In  regard  to  the  choice  of  remedies,  nothing  seems  to 
answer  most  cases  better  than  aloes  and  myrrh.  This  may 
be  combined  with  hyoscyamus,  belladonna,  or  nux  vomica  ; 
also  some  tonic,  as  sulphate  of  quinine,  or  some  prepara- 
tion of  iron. 

Pills  made,  two  grains  each,  of  aloes  and  myrrh,  and 
one-fourth  grain  of  nux  vomica  or  belladonna,  and  one  of 
them  taken  after  dinner  each  day,  will  prove  to  meet  the 
requirements  of  most  cases.  To  persons  who  have  an 
aversion  to  taking  pills,  a  No.  2  capsule  may  be  filled 
from  the  powder  of  equal  parts  of  aloes  and  myrrh.  If  a 
liquid  be  preferred,  take  a  teaspoonful  of  the  combined 
tincture  of  aloes  and  myrrh  at  bedtime.  Whichever  form 
of  taking  the  remedy  may  be  adopted,  the  dose  should 
be  regulated  so  as  to  attain  the  end  sought  gradually, 
diminishing  it  as  the  constipation  subsides.  A  small  piece 
of  rhubarb  root  chewed  at  intervals  through  the  day  is  a 
very  satisfactory  remedy  in  some  very  obstinate  cases. 

A  few  drops  of  the  tincture  of  colchicum  taken  after 
each  meal  answer  sometimes  admirably.  Prunes,  stewed 
in  an  infusion  of  senna,  are  not  unpalatable.  The  confec- 
tion of  senna  and  medicated  figs  is  also  suited  to  persons 
who  do  not  like  to  take  pills. 

The  most  important  thing  for  patients  who  are  troubled 
with  constipation  is  the  adoption  of  a  rule  to  solicit  evacua- 
tion at  the  same  hour  daily.  The  success  of  this  plan 
depends  upon  the  absolute  regularity  with  which  it  is  put 
in  practice.  The  time  of  day  may  be  selected  so  as  to 
best  accommodate  the  circumstances  of  the  patient. 


576  MAIDENHOOD    AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

Choose  that  hour  of  the  day  when  you  will  least  likely 
be  interrupted,  and  will  be  enabled  to  give  sufficient  time 
for  the  act  of  defecation  without  making  a  too  persistent 
effort.  For  many  reasons  immediately  after  breakfast  is 
the  better  time,  and  its  observance  should  be  regarded  as 
a  duty,  not  to  be  omitted  for  a  single  day,  except  from 
necessity.  It  may  be  long  before  the  desired  object  can 
be  accomplished,  but,  sooner  or  later,  with  the  aid  of  some 
of  the  means  that  have  been  indicated,  the  desire  will  be 
felt  at  the  appointed  hour,  and  the  ability  to  defecate  at 
that  time  will  be  acquired  in  the  great  majority  of 
instances.  Much  will  depend,  however,  upon  the  will- 
power of  the  individual  to  persevere  until  success  shall 
crown  the  effort. 

The  mechanical  means  consist  in  the  use  of  enemas 
and  suppositories.  The  regular  use  of  an  enema  of  cold 
water,  at  the  same  hour  every  day,  is  a  simple  and  often- 
times an  effectual  means,  and  is  materially  aided  if  a  few 
drops  of  the  tincture  of  camphor  be  added  to  the  enema. 
Sometimes  a  suppository  of  soap  answers  the  purpose 
of  stimulating  the  bowel  to  a  regular  and  efficient 
evacuation. 

Treatment  of  Constipation   by    the  Swedish    Movement 

Cure. 

In  order  the  more  readily  to  convey  a  definite  idea  of 
the  principles  on  which  the  Swedish  movement  cure  is 
based,  and  the  mode  in  which  those  principles  are  carried 
into  practical  execution,  Dr.  Benjamin  Lee  gives  the 


TREATMENT   OF   CONSTIPATION. 


577 


following  prescription  for  that  bete  noire  of  the  profession, 
constipation.  It  will  be  observed  that  each  clause  of  the 
prescription  contains  two  parts  ;  the  first  is  the  attitude  or 
position  to  be  assumed  by  the  patient  in  taking  the  move- 
ment ;  the  second  is  the  movement  itself.  These  parts 
are  distinguished  by  drawing  a  line  down  the  middle  of 
the  prescription  : 

Chest    expansion,    deep 
inspiration. 

Leg  flexion  and  exten- 
sion (P.  r.) 

Trunk  twisting  (P.  r.) 
Thigh  extension  forced 
(P.  1.) 

5.  High  ride  turn  sitting.  Circular,  twisting,   with 

pressure  upon  the  stomach 
and  in  the  lumbar  region. 

6.  Extension  standing.  Colon  stroking. 


i  Heave,  standing. 

2.  Half  lying. 

3.  Half  ride,  fall  sitting. 

4.  Toward,  standing. 


7.  Forehead    fix, 
knee. 

8.  Astride  standing. 

9.  Lying. 


high  Spine   extension,  forced 

(P.  r.) 

Liver  vibration. 
Abdomen  kneading, 
pressure  with  vibration  over 
the  solar  plexus. 

The  attitudes  being  various,  their  nomenclature  is  neces- 
sarily somewhat  cumbersome,  while  its  foreign  parentage 
makes  it  awkward  to  American  ears.  Suffice  it  to  say  that 
each  variation  has  reference  to  special  groups  of  muscles 
or  certain  organs. 


5/8  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

The  first  movement  in  this  prescription  is  a  respiratory 
one,  taken  in  the  erect  position,  with  the  chest  thrown  out, 
and  accompanied  by  deep  inspirations,  its  object  being  to 
invigorate  the  entire  system  by  introducing  a  large  amount 
of  oxygen  into  the  blood-supply,  to  bring  both  muscles  and 
nerves  into  a  highly-vitalized  state,  in  which  they  will 
respond  most  readily  to  the  stimulus  of  the  subsequent 
movements. 

The  second  is  a  deviation  designed  to  relieve  conges- 
tion of  the  abdominal  organs  by  drawing  down  the  blood 
into  the  lower  extremities.  In  this  the  trunk  is  placed  at 
rest  in  a  semi-recumbent  posture.  The  letters  "p.  r. " 
will  be  noticed  immediately  after  this  movement.  They 
signify  that  the  patient  resists,  the  movement  being  made 
by  the  operator.  This  is,  therefore,  a  duplicate  movement. 
The  entire  will  of  the  patient  being  concentrated  upon  this 
effort,  it  is  powerfully  revulsive. 

The  third  principle  has  two  chief  ends  —  the  first,  pres- 
sure upon  the  entire  abdominal  walls,  thus  relieving  con- 
gestion by  forcing  the  blood  out  of  the  large  vessels  ;  and 
secondly,  invigorating  and  developing  the  transverse  and 
•oblique  abdominal  muscles,  which  are  rarely  brought  into 
play  in  ordinary  exertions.  The  attitude  is  such  as  to 
fix  the  pelvis.  The  arms  are  then  crossed  over  the  top  of 
the  head,  and  the  extended  elbows  are  made  use  of  as  a 
lever,  by  means  of  which  the  trunk  is  twisted  or  rotated 
upon  its  axis,  the  patient  resisting  the  operator's  effort. 

The  fourth  stretches  the  abdominal  muscles,  especially 
those  of  the  rectum,  thus  inviting  a  copious  flow  of  blood 


TREATMENT   OF   CONSTIPATION.  5/9 

into  the  capillaries,  while,  at  the  same  time,  by  irritating 
the  muscles  about  the  hip,  the  perineum  and  the  psoas 
iliacus,  it  stimulates  the  nerves  of  the  lumbar  and  pelvic 
plexus. 

The  fifth  consists  in  a  rapid  rotation  of  the  entire  trunk 
upon  the  pelvis,  bringing  all  the  muscles  of  the  lower  part 
of  the  trunk  into  play  and  subjecting  the  pelvic  viscera  to 
alternate  pressure  and  relief  from  pressure.  It  promotes 
activity  in  the  portal  circulation,  and  stimulates  peristaltic 
action.  It  is  accomplished  with  firm  pressure  upon  the 
stomach  and  in  the  lumbar  region,  the  former  with  a  view 
of  stimulating  the  solar  plexus  and  the  latter  the  lumbar 
nerves. 

The  sixth  movement  is  entirely  passive,  the  patient 
standing,  while  the  operator  slowly  and  firmly  strokes  the 
colon  in  the  direction  of  its  vermicular  wave.  Its 
primary  object  is  to  accelerate  the  passage  of  fecal  masses 
and  flatus  through  that  portion  of  the  canal,  and  its 
secondary  object  is  to  stimulate  its  rhythmic  contractions. 

The  seventh  produces  extreme  erection  of  the  spine, 
thus  affording  increased  space  for  the  abdominal  organs, 
usually  compressed  by  improper  attitudes. 

The  eighth  movement  is  the  Movement  Cure"  blue  pill. " 
The  patient  takes  such  an  attitude  as  will  tightly  stretch 
the  muscles  of  the  right  side,  and  the  operator  then  produces 
a  rapid  vibration  of  the  parietes  of  the  chest  and  abdomen 
immediately  over  the  liver.  The  effort  is  to  relieve  the 
congestion  of  the  liver  and  excite  a  healthy  flow  of  bile. 
Finally,  the  patient  lies  upon  his  back,  and  a  thorough 


580        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

kneading  of  the  abdomen  is  given,  followed  by  pressure 
and  vibration  over  the  solar  plexus.  The  circulation  of 
all  the  abdominal  viscera  is  thus  stimulated,  the  passage  of 
both  chyle  and  feces  through  the  alimentary  canal  is  aided, 
healthy  secretion  is  promoted,  undue  accumulations  of 
mucus  are  dislodged,  and  the  great  nervous  center  of  the 
organic  system  is  roused  into  the  highest  state  of  activity. 
There  are  very  few  cases  of  constipation,  however  obsti- 
nate, which  will  resist  a  fortnight  of  this  treatment  daily, 
and  many  cases  will  yield  in  a  week.  The  time  occupied 
in  carrying  out  this  prescription  is  about  an  hour. 

Diarrhea. 

Diarrhea  is  the  opposite  condition  from  constipation, 
and  is  not  so  frequently  a  disorder  of  women.  It  may 
alternate  periodically  with  constipation.  It  very  rarely 
affects  pregnant  women,  and,  when  it  does,  is  the  result 
generally  of  indigestion  or  of  irritability  of  the  nervous 
system,  producing  an  excessive  action  of  the  peristaltic 
muscles  of  the  bowels,  aided  by  an  excess  of  fluid  poured 
into  the  canal,  resulting  in  repeated  watery  discharges. 
There  may  be  only  a  single  defecation  that  entirely 
unloads  the  whole  alimentary  canal.  This  condition  is 
almost  uniformly  followed  by  a  period  of  constipation. 

This  form  of  diarrhea  is  the  result  of  mental  emotions, 
and  especially  the  depressing  passions  —  grief,  and  above 
all,  fear.  As,  for  example,  a  sudden  panic  will  operate  on 
the  bowels  as  quickly  as  a  dose  of  the  most  active 
cathartic.  Among  the  circumstances  which  predispose 


DIARRHEA.  581 

most  persons  to  this  kind  of  malady  are  the  hot  months 
and  autumn. 

This  form  of  diarrhea  —  from  occasional  irritation  pro- 
duced by  the  pressure  of  substances  that  offend  the  stom- 
ach or  bowels  —  will  generally  cease  of  itself,  and,  as  I 
have  said,  be  replaced  by  a  period  of  constipation.  The 
purging  is  a  natural  way  of  getting  rid  of  the  irritating 
cause.  The  recovery  may  be  favored  by  the  use  of 
diluent  drinks,  and  abstaining  from  all  future  use  of  food 
that  is  not  perfectly  easy  of  digestion.  Sometimes  it  may 
be  necessary  to  give  some  safe  purgative,  as  salts  and 
senna,  thereby  sweeping  out  the  whole  alimentary  canal, 
and  then  soothe  the  bowel  by  some  preparation  of  opium, 
or  five  to  ten  grains  of  Dover's  powder  ;  or  you  may  take 
the  aperient  and  anodyne  together.  A  tablespoonful  of 
castor  oil  with  six  to  ten  drops  of  laudanum  dropped  into 
it,  or  fifteen  to  twenty  grains  of  pulverized  rhubarb  with 
from  five  to  eight  grains  of  Dover's  powder  in  it,  will 
answer  well.  By  some  such  medication  as  this,  emptying 
the  bowels  when  necessary,  and  guiding  them,  the  cure  is 
generally  accomplished  with  ease  and  speedily. 

We  sometimes,  however,  meet  with  cases  in  which  the 
diarrhea  runs  on  ;  the  stools  are  composed  of  fecal  matter 
in  an  unnaturally  fluid  state.  The  precise  condition  upon 
which  this  disposition  to  an  over-loose  state  of  the  bowels 
depends,  escapes  detection  —  that  is,  you  may  not  know 
of  any  attributable  cause. 

If  the  disorder  be  only  slight,  it  may  yield  to  some  of 
the  common  vegetable  astringents  —  say,  a  decoction  of 


58^  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

blackberry  root  with  the  addition  of  a  little  cinnamon 
essence.  If  there  be  acidity  of  the  stomach,  the  chalk 
mixture,  or  subnitrate  of  bismuth  in  ten  to  twenty  grain 
doses,  will  be  serviceable.  If,  however,  it  still  persist, 
only  being  temporarily  relieved  by  these  remedies, 
recourse  may  be  had  to  ten  grains  of  pulverized  sulphate 
of  copper  and  forty  grains  of  ipecac,  and  ten  grains  of 
gum  arabic;  mix  into  a  pill  made  by  the  addition  of  a 
little  water,  and  divide  into  forty  pills.  Take  one  two  or 
three  times  daily,  and  pay  proper  attention  to  the  diet, 
using  only  such  food  as  may  be  easily  digested  and  sooth- 
ing to  the  bowels. 

Dr.  Miller  Fothergill  makes  some  wise  suggestions  in 
regard  to  the  food  in  cases  of  diarrhea,  which  are  worthy 
of  respectful  consideration,  as  they  are  the  observations 
of  a  man  of  acknowledged  intellect  with  great  experience. 
He  says  :  "  One  broad  rule  may  be  laid  down,  and  it  is 
this  :  So  long  as  animal  broths  are  permitted,  so  long  will 
diarrhea  be  intractable.  Again  and  again  has  this  been 
driven  like  a  spike  into  my  memory.  Of  course  I  have 
learned  the  lesson  for  myself;  but  in  my  position  as  a 
consultant  it  comes  under  my  notice  in  cases  treated  by 
others.  There  is  anything  but  a  general  recognition  of 
this  fact  ;  and  few  of  our  clinical  residents  at  Victoria  Park 
Hospital  have  not  this  lesson  to  learn.  Milk  with  farin- 
aceous substances  forms  the  food  in  diarrheal  conditions. 
Arrowroot  (raw)  is  the  food  cure  for  diarrhea  among 
children,  in  the  opinion  of  the  British  mothers.  Starch 
certainly  soothes  the  alimentary  canal,  and  a  sago,  or  even 


DIARRHEA.  583 

better,  a  tapioca  pudding,  forms  soft  wadding  for  a  bowel 
with  an  irritable  mucous  membrane.  All  hard,  irritant 
matter  is  objectionable  and  aggravates  the  condition.  A 
diarrhea  is  generally  set  up  by  such  matters  as  imperfectly 
masticated  pieces  of  hard  potatoes  or  carrot,  of  a  green 
stalk  or  a  piece  of  uncooked  celery,  or  of  a  ripe  apple  ; 
and  is  certainly  aggravated  by  such  mechanical  irritants. 
Milk  boiled  with  rice  (best  ground)  has  a  distinct  corrective 
action.  Milk  with  biscuit  powder  is  excellent.  By  such 
admixture  too  firm  curdling  is  avoided.  To  put  in  a  little 
cinnamon  or  cassia  is  to  add  a  flavoring  agent  which  at  the 
same  time  is  a  good  addition  as  acting  favorably  on  loose 
bowels. 

"  In  acute  diarrhea  the  best  food  is  milk  with  ground 
rice,  or  wheat  flour  (with  cinnamon)  in  small  quantities  at 
once,  neither  too  cold  nor  too  warm.  Milk  puddings 
made  with  sago,  arrowroot  or  tapioca  are  good  ;  or  pow- 
dered arrowroot  (as  arrowroot  biscuit)  in  milk.  If  such 
food  be  persisted  with,  many  a  diarrhea  will  yield  withou 
calling  in  the  aid  of  strictly  medical  agents.  But  fre- 
quently these  last  are  indispensable.  In  more  chronic 
conditions  of  looseness  of  the  bowels,  milk  and  farinaceous 
foods  are  still  to  be  made  the  staple  of  the  dietary. 

"  Then  come  the  astringent  wines,  rich  in  tannin  — as 
claret,  Carlowitz  and  catawba.  These  may  be  drunk 
undiluted,  or  may  be  made  into  a  nutrient  food,  by  adding 
them  to  solutions  of  grape  or  cane  sugar,  or  even  to 
lactated  foods.  In  many  cases  a  small  amount  of  alcohol 
is  desirable. " 


584  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

It  may  be  laid  down  as  a  rule  that  farinaceous  matter 
is  useful  in  diarrhea,  the  soft  starch  being  not  only  non- 
irritant,  but  actually  soothing  to  the  morbid  mucous 
membrane  of  the  bowel. 

No  doubt  in  many  cases  of  diarrhea,  acute  or 
chronic — just  as  in  constipation  —  the  resort  to  medical 
agents  is  often  necessary.  But,  granting  this,  and  admit- 
ting the  numerous  remedies  in  our  possession  for  the  relief 
of  both  conditions,  still,  their  action  can  be  potently  aided 
or  thwarted  by  a  suitable  dietetic  regimen.  Indeed,  in 
the  milder  cases,  regulation  of  the  dietary  is  sufficient  to 
keep  the  bowels  in  a  satisfactory  condition. 

Hemorrhoids,  or  Piles. 

Very  closely  allied  to  the  diseases  that  we  have  just 
been  considering  is  the  disease  of  hemorrhoids,  or  piles, 
because  the  paroxysms  of  piles  frequently  attend  a 
protracted  case  of  either  constipation  or  diarrhea.  It  is 
also  a  very  common  disease  in  the  latter  month  of  preg- 
nancy, and  is  attended  at  times  with  the  most  acute 
suffering. 

The  disease  consists  in  small  tumors  around  the  anus 
or  fundament.  Some  of  these  tumors  are  internal  and 
some  external,  and  are  known  by  the  terms  outward  piles 
and  inward,  or  blind  piles.  Frequently  these  tumors  or 
swellings  bleed,  especially  when  the  bowels  are  moved. 
In  other  cases  there  is  no  hemorrhage.  The  bleeding  in 
some  cases  is  alarmingly  profuse  on  account  of  the  rupture 
of  one  or  more  of  the  hemorrhoidal  vessels.  The 


CAUSES   OF   PILES.  585 

hemorrhage  is  generally  followed  by  a  period  of  some 
relief.  Considerable  itching  at  times  accompanies  piles, 
which  may  be  due  in  a  great  measure  to  an  additional 
disorder  of  the  adjacent  skin.  There  is  usually  a  sense  of 
heat  and  fullness  of  the  rectum,  a  dull,  heavy  weight  in  the 
back  and  lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  and  an  uneasiness  in 
sitting  or  walking  about.  The  patient  will  suffer  severe 
agony  while  passing  her  stools  ;  and  the  tumors,  whether 
internal  or  external,  will  become  swollen  and  extremely 
tender  so  that  they  can  scarcely  be  touched.  They  some- 
times have  quite  a  throbbing  pulsation. 

If  the  tumors  break  and  discharge  their  contents,  relief 
soon  follows  until  a  new  crop  forms  ;  when  they 
continue  tumid,  hard  and  unbroken  for  some  time  there 
will  be  great  suffering  when  the  person  has  a  discharge 
from  the  bowels. 

Causes  of  Piles. 

Piles  may  be  occasioned  by  whatever  interrups  a  free 
return  of  blood  from  the  rectum,  such  as  a  collection  of 
hard  feces,  which  excites  and  irritates  those  parts.  In 
women  it  often  arises  from  an  impregnated  womb,  or 
from  relaxation  and  debility,  and  not  infrequently  from  an 
inflammatory  or  irritable  condition  of  the  rectum  resulting 
from  some  form  of  diarrhea.  A  diseased  state  of  the 
digestive  organs,  with  torpidity  of  the  liver,  or  straining 
in  lifting  heavy  burdens  will  often  bring  on  an  attack  of 
this  troublesome  disorder.  Excessive  indulgence  in  rich 
and  highly-seasoned  food  is  a  fruitful  cause,  from  its 


586  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

tendency  to  derange  the  digestive  organs.  For  the  same 
reason  the  excessive  use  of  ardent  spirits  will  bring  on  an 
attack. 

Treatment. 

The  prophylactic  treatment,  as  physicians  call  it,  is  the 
best  method  of  managing  this  troublesome  and  painful 
disease.  That  is,  as  far  as  it  is  possible,  live  temperately, 
so  as  to  avoid  all  those  causes  that  produce  the  disease. 
When  a  person  has  once  been  affected  with  it,  another 
attack  will  be  much  more  easily  produced.  The  vessels 
having  once  been  distended  and  their  caliber  enlarged, 
they  yield  more  readily  to  the  excessive  pressure  of  the 
blood. 

The  first  and  one  pf  the  most  important  remedies  in 
this  disease  is  a  proper  course  of  diet.  Wines  or  ardent 
spirits  and  rich  and  highly-seasoned  food  are  positively 
interdicted.  Costiveness  or  diarrhea,  if  they  be  present, 
must  be  corrected,  and  one  or  two  soft  stools  daily  be 
substituted.  The  food  should  consist  of  such  articles  as 
will  not  only  be  digestible,  but  will  be  selected  with  due 
regard  to  the  condition  of  the  bowels. 

If  there  be  constipation,  use  such  food  as  rye  or  corn- 
meal,  bread  or  mush,  eaten  with  molasses,  coarse, 
unbolted  wheaten  bread,  potatoes,  ripe  fruit,  milk,  and 
generally  a  nutritious  vegetable  diet,  so  as  to  regulate  the 
bowels.  If  there  be  diarrhea,  some  stringent  with  some 
of  the  preparations  of  opium  to  allay  the  irritation  and 
quiet  the  bowels  will  be  required.  However,  medicines 


CAUSES    OF   PILES.  587 

that  act  moderately  on  the  bowels  are    more  frequently 
required. 

A  teaspoonful  of  cream-tartar  mixed  in  molasses  will 
answer  a  good  purpose,  or,  what  is  still  better,  and, 
indeed,  one  of  the  best  remedies,  is  a  combination  of 
sulphur-flour  and  cream-tartar  —  say  one  ounce  of  flour- 
sulphur;  one  and  a  half  ounces  of  cream-tartar  ;  molasses, 
four  ounces  ;  mix  and  take  in  teaspoonful  doses  four  hours 
apart,  until  the  bowels  move,  and  then  sufficiently  often 
to  prevent  them  from  becoming  costive.  At  times 
enemas  of  water,  either  warm  or  cold,  as  may  appear  most 
pleasant,  to  wash  out  the  rectum  and  move  the  bowels, 
answer  a  good  purpose. 

When  the  tumors  become  very  painful,  and  are  con- 
siderably inflamed,  a  poultice  made  of  either  elm  or  lin 
bark  and  milk  will  give  great  relief.  Ointment  made  by 
mixing  together  two  parts  of  fresh  butter  and  one  of  tur- 
pentine, and  applied  to  the  tumors,  will  frequently  afford 
speedy  relief. 

Professor  Fordyce  Barker  of  New  York  says  the 
general  prejudice  against  aloes  does  not  apply  to  the 
occurrence  of  piles  in  pregnant  women.  A  frequent  pre- 
scription with  him  is  : 

Aloes,  pulverized,  Socotrine,  20  grains. 

Castile  Soap,  20  grains. 

Extract  of  Hyoscyamus,  20  grains. 

Ipecac,  pulverized,  5  grains. 

Mix  and  make  twenty  pills  ;  take  one  morning  and 
evening. 


588        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

When  the  tumors  descend  they  should  be  replaced, 
and  the  following  applied  twice  daily  : 

Compound  Unguent  of  Galls,  I  ounce. 
Watery  extract  of  opium,  20  grains. 
Liquor  of  Sulphate  of  Iron,       i  drachm. 
Many  persons  think  that  aloes  will  produce  piles,  but 
the  better  part  of  the  medical  profession  regard  the  drug 
as  a  certain  curative,  and  give  it  in  some  form  in  all  their 
treatment.     Dr.    Barker   says   that   when    the    patient   is 
troubled    with     constipation    he     combines     aloes    with 
quinine  ;  without   constipation,   aloes    with    the    sulphate 
of  iron.     For  bleeding  piles  he  used  : 

Sulphate  of  iron,  20  grains. 
Watery  extract  of  aloes,  30  grains. 
Extract  dandelion,  quantity  sufficient. 
Quantity  to  make   a  pill  mass,  and  divide  into  sixty 
pills  ;  one  taken  morning  and   evening    and  increase   to 
three  a  day  if  necessary. 

Varicose   OP    Enlarged    Veins. 

Some  of  the  disorders  of  pregnancy  are  the  direct 
result  of  the  mechanical  pressure  of  the  gravid  uterus. 
The  most  serious  of  these  is  a  varicose  state  of  the  veins 
of  the  lower  extremities  or  of  the  vulva.  A  varicose 
state  of  the  veins  of  the  legs  is  very  common,  especially 
in  women  who  have  borne  children.  It  rarely  troubles 
women  in  their  first  pregnancy.  It  is  apt  to  continue 
after  delivery.  Occasionally  the  veins  of  the  vulva  and 
even  of  the  vagina,  are  also  enlarged  and  varicose,  pro- 
ducing considerable  swelling  of  the  external  genitals. 


VARICOSE   OR   ENLARGED    VEINS.  589 

Rest  in  a  recumbent  position  and  the  use  of  an 
abdominal  belt,  so  as  to  take  the  pressure  off  the  veins  as 
much  as  possible,  are  all  that  can  be  done  to  relieve  this 
troublesome  complaint.  If  the  veins  be  much  swollen,  an 
elastic  stocking,  or  a  carefully-applied  bandage  should  be 
worn.  Much  benefit  may  be  derived  by  keeping  the 
bowels  regular,  and  relieving  the  pressure  from  this 
source. 

Dr.  Lion,  a  French  writer,  claims  much  success  in  the 
treatment  of  varicose  veins  by  swathing  the  legs  in  a 
flannel  compress  wet  with  a  solution  of  chloride  of  iron  in 
water,  forty-five  grains  to  the  ounce,  and  the  applying 
of  a  roller  flannel  bandage  over  it  firmly  for  twenty-fcur 
hours.  This  is  to  be  repeated  daily  for  a  week  or  two 
weeks. 

Dr.  Edward  R.  Mayer  says  that  he  has  employed, 
';  with  brilliant  results,"  lotions  of  witch  hazel  to  varicose 
enlargements.  His  formula  is  :  Concentrated  tincture 
of  hamamelis,  one  ounce  ;  water,  one  pint.  He  believes 
that  it  exerts  a  specific  effect  on  the  venous  system. 

Venous  injections  have  been  used  with  advantage, 
and  are  operations  which  belong  to  the  surgeon,  and  need 
not  be  mentioned  here.  The  great  danger  from  these 
enlarged  veins  is  the  liability  to  rupture  and  produce 
dangerous  hemorrhage.  Great  care  is  to  be  observed  by 
persons  thus  afflicted  that  by  some  mishap  this  accident 
do  not  occur. 


590  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Wakefulness,    or    Insomnia. 

This  is  peculiarly  a  nervous  affection,  and  one  that  is 
exceedingly  prevalent  among  all  classes  of  women,  preg- 
nant, parturient,  young  and  old.  There  are  a  great  many 
phases  of  this  intractable  affection.  The  principles  that 
should  prevail  in  the  treatment  of  wakefulness  may  be 
arranged  into  two  classes. 

First,  those  which,  by  their  tendency  to  soothe  the 
nervous  system  or  distract  the  attention,  diminish  the 
action  of  the  heart  and  blood  vessels,  or  correct  irregu- 
larities in  their  function,  and  thus  lessen  the  amount  of 
blood  in  the  brain.  In  slight  cases  these  measures 
often  prove  effectual.  Among  these  measures  may  be 
noticed  music,  monotonous  sounds,  gentle  friction  of  the 
surface  of  the  body,  soft,  undulatory  movements,  the 
repetition  by  the  individual  of  a  series  of  words,  till  the 
attention  is  diverted  from  the  existing  emotion  that  is 
engaging  it,  and  many  others  of  a  similar  character.  The 
device  of  counting  500  backward  is  quite  successful.  In 
persistent  wakefulness  these  measures,  however,  are  inad- 
equate. 

Second,  resort  to  such  means,  either  mechanically  or 
through  a  specific  effect  upon  the  circulatory  organs,  as 
diminish  the  amount  of  blood  in  the  brain.  The  princi- 
pal means  that  is  embraced  in  this  course  of  treatment  is 
to  improve  the  patient's  general  health.  In  regard  to 
food,  while  it  is  an  error  to  suppose,  as  is  generally  the 
case,  that  a  moderately  full  meal,  eaten  shortly  before 


WAKEFULNESS   OR    INSOMNIA.  591 

bedtime,  is  necessarily  productive  of  wakefulness,  while 
there  is  no  doubt  that  this  condition  is  induced  by  an 
excessive  quantity  of  irritating  or  indigestible  food,  yet  a 
hearty  supper  of  plainly-cooked  and  nutritious  food  rather 
predisposes  to  sleep.  This  is  due  to  the  process  of 
digestion  requiring  an  increased  amount  of  blood  in  the 
organs  which  perform  it,  and,  consequently,  the  brain 
receives  a  less  quantity.  This  sleep-producing  effect  is 
neutralized,  however,  when  the  food  is  immoderate  in 
amount  or  irritative  in  quality.  It  then,  either  by  the 
pressure  upon  the  abdominal  vessels  or  through  a  reflex 
action  on  the  heart,  augments  rather  than  diminishes  the 
quantity  of  blood  circulating  in  the  brain. 

Attention  should,  therefore,  be  paid  to  the  diet  of  an 
individual  who  does  not  sleep.  As  a  rule,  people  are 
under-fed.  This  is  especially  true  of  women.  The  tone 
of  the  system  is  thus  lowered,  and  local  congestions  of 
different  parts  of  the  body  are  produced.  If  the  brain  be 
one  of  these,  wakefulness  results.  Most  of  the  cases  of 
sleeplessness  in  women  are  of  the  passive  variety,  and 
require  not  only  nutritious  food  but  stimulants.  Whisky 
is  generally  to  be  preferred  to  brandy  and  many  kinds  of 
wine.  Nothing  can  be  better,  as  a  good  stimulant,  and  at 
the  same  time  tonic,  than  Tarragona  wine,  drank  at  din- 
ner, to  the  extent  of  a  glass  or  two.  Next  to  this  must 
be  ranked  good  lager  beer. 

There  are  cases  in  which  coffee  produces  sleep.  A 
number  of  cases  are  mentioned  by  authors  in  which  pass- 
ive wakefulness  was  speedily  and  entirely  cured  by  a  cup 


592  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

of  strong  coffee,  taken  for  three  or  four  nights  in  suc- 
cession at  bedtime.  In  women  of  languid  circulation 
and  consequent  tendency  to  internal  congestion,  it  is  par- 
ticularly useful. 

The  employment  of  stimulants  is  only  of  service  in  the 
asthenic  or  passive  form  of  wakefulness.  In  the  sthenic 
or  active  form  they  would,  of  course,  increase  the 
difficulty. 

Physical  exercise  in  the  open  air,  extended  to  the 
point  of  inducing  a  slight  feeling  of  fatigue,  is  productive 
of  good  effects. 

The  warm  bath  calms  nervous  irritability  and  deter- 
mines blood  from  the  head.  Putting  the  feet  in  hot 
water  at  a  temperature  of  100°  F.  will  often  induce  sleep, 
particularly  in  children,  when  other  means  have  failed. 

Cold  water  (32°  F.)  applied  directly  to  the  scalp  has  a 
good  influence  in  those  cases  in  which  the  individual  is 
strong,  the  heart  beating  with  force  and  frequency  and  the 
mental  excitement  great.  It  is  not  admissible  in  the 
passive  forms  of  wakefulness. 

In  wakefulness,  due  to  severe  and  long-continued 
mental  exertion,  all  means  of  cure  will  fail  unless  the  brain 
be  used  in  a  rational  way.  Proper  intervals  of  relaxation 
will  be  necessary,  and  some  mental  rest.  Among  the 
purely  medicinal  agents,  bromide  of  potassium  holds  the 
first  rank.  It  diminishes  the  amount  of  blood  in  the  brain, 
and  allays  any  excitement  that  may  be  present  in  the 
active  form  of  wakefulness.  The  flushed  face,  the  throb- 
bing of  the  carotids  and  temple  arteries,  the  suffusion  of 


AFTER-PAINS.  593 

the  eyes,  the  feeling  of  fullness  in  the  head,  all  disappear 
as  if  by  magic  under  its  use.  The  dose  of  bromide  of 
potassium  is  from  ten  to  forty  grains,  dissolved  in  a  cup  of 
water. 

Hyoscyamus  frequently  proves  to  be  a  very  valuable 
remedy. 

Chloral  hydrate  is  a  prime  remedy  for  sleeplessness  in 
the  exhaustion  of  the  brain  through  severe  mental  appli- 
cation, over-excitement  of  feeling,  or  convalescence  from 
acute  febrile  diseases.  It  should  only  be  used  as  a  tem- 
porary remedy,  when  it  may  be  necessary  that  we  should 
at  once  secure  a  fair  amount  of  sleep.  No  individual 
should  be  allowed  to  take  this  valuable  drug  whenever  she 
may  feel  disposed  ;  it  ought  only  to  be  used  upon  the 
advice  of  a  physician.  Opium  and  its  alkaloids  answer 
well  with  some  persons,  especially  if  pain  be  associated 
with  wakefulness,  but  they  must  use  with  great  caution. 
Morphia  is  the  most  active  hypnotic  of  the  opiates. 

After- Pains. 

In  child-birth  there  are  three  distinct  varieties  of 
pains  —  those  that  expel  the  child ;  those  that  expel  the 
after-birth ;  and  those  that  expel  coagula  of  blood  that 
may  remain  after  the  expulsion  of  the  after-birth,  or  that 
may  accumulate  in  the  process  of  involution. 

After-pains  begin  after  the  expulsion  of  the  after-birth. 
In  some  women  the  pains  are  slight,  and  with  the  first 
delivery  there  is  rarely  any  pain.  With  others  these  pains 
are  very  severe,  and  dreaded  even  more  than  labor-pains. 


594  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

There  are  irregular  contractions  of  the  uterus,  resulting 
from  its  efforts  to  expel  coagula  which  are  formed  in  its 
interior.  If,  therefore,  care  be  taken  to  secure  complete 
and  permanent  contraction  of  the  uterus  after  delivery, 
they  rarely  occur  to  any  considerable  degree.  They  are 
to  a  certain  extent  a  necessary  consequence  of  child-birth, 
and  need  not  give  rise  to  any  anxiety.  Indeed,  they  are 
rather  salutary  than  the  reverse,  for,  if  there  be  any 
coagulum  in  the  uterus,  the  sooner  it  be  expelled  the 
better. 

The  after-pains  generally  begin  soon  after  delivery,  and, 
in  bad  cases,  continue  for  three  or  four  days.  They  are 
generally  induced  or  increased  when  the  infant  is  applied 
to  the  breast.  In  some  severe  cases  they  appear  to  be  of 
a  neuralgic  character,  and  do  not  depend  upon  the  pres- 
ence of  coagula  in  the  uterus.  Such  cases  will  be  relieved 
by  the  administration  of  from  eight  to  ten  grains  of  qui- 
nine. The  quinine  should  be  dissolved  in  ten  or  fifteen 
drops  of  hydrobromic  acid,  to  relieve  the  unpleasant  head 
symptoms  that  such  large  doses  are  liable  to  produce.  If 
the  pains  be  moderate,  they  need  not  be  interfered  with, 
as  they  soon  pass  off.  If,  however,  they  seriously  disturb 
the  rest  of  the  patient,  give  an  opiate  consisting  of  twenty 
to  forty  drops  of  laudanum,  or  five  to  ten  grains  of  Dover's 
powder. 

If  the  discharges  called  lochia  be  not  over-abundant,  a 
linseed-meal  or  corn-meal  poultice,  sprinkled  with  laud- 
anum, or  with  the  chloroform  and  belladonna  liniment, 
may  be  applied  to  the  bowels.  Sometimes  a  few  grains  of 


LOCHIA,    OR    VAGINAL   DISCHARGES.  595 

camphor,  held  in   the  mouth  and  dissolved   slowly,  give 
relief. 

Lochia,  on  Vaginal   Discharges. 

The  discharges  from  the  genital  passage  after  delivery 
are  termed  the  lochia.  At  first  the  lochia  are  composed  of 
pure  blood  with  coagula  of  fibrine,  but,  after  a  few  hours, 
the  wounded  surface  of  the  uterus  furnishes  an  abundant 
exudation  of  a  serous  alkaline  fluid,  which  washes  away 
in  its  descent  the  secretion  from  the  cervix  and  vaginal 
mucus.  For  the  first  two  or  three  days  the  lochia  are  of 
a  red  color,  from  the  admixture  of  blood,  while,  upon  the 
third,  fourth,  and  sometimes  upon  the  fifth  day,  the  bloody 
elements  diminish,  and  the  discharges  present  a  pale-red 
color.  From  the  fifth  to  the  seventh  day  the  bloody 
element  still  further  diminishes.  The  discharge  continues 
thin,  with  an  increase  of  other  fluids.  In  the  second  week 
the  discharge  becomes  of  a  grayish-white,  or  greenish- 
yellow  color,  and  of  a  creamy  consistence.  After  the 
fourth  day  there  is  more  or  less  odor  accompanying  the 
discharge.  Toward  the  end  of  the  first  week,  and  espe- 
cially after  leaving  the  bed,  fresh  blood  often  makes  its 
appearance.  The  quantity  of  the  lochia  varies  with  the 
peculiarities  of  the  individual.  It  is,  as  a  rule,  less  with 
the  first  delivery  than  with  after-deliveries  and  in  persons 
who  are  flabby  and  menstruate  abundantly. 

Great  cleanliness  in  regard  to  these  discharges  is 
important,  not  only  for  the  comfort  of  the  patient,  but  to 
prevent  serious  diseases  resulting  from  absorption  of  the 


596  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

poison  resulting  from  decomposition.  Give  frequent 
baths,  as  is  recommended  in  the  article,  "  Care  After 
Delivery."  The  napkins  should  be  often  changed  and 
replaced  with  clean  ones. 

When  the  discharge  is  excessive,  accompanied  with  a 
relaxed  condition  of  the  uterus,  teaspoonful  doses  of  the 
fluid  extract  of  ergot,  every  two  or  three  hours  will 
arrest  it. 

When  the  discharge  is  suspended,  use  turpentine 
stupes,  which  are  made  by  applying  turpentine  freely  to 
the  bowels,  and  over  it  large  napkins  or  cloths  of  flannel 
wrung  out  of  water  as  hot  as  can  be  borne.  Drinking 
freely  of  a  decoction  of  vervain,  or  wild  hyssop  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  will  aid  materially  in  the  re-establishment 
of  the  discharge.  In  severe  cases,  with  a  putrid  odor,  a 
solution  of  the  permanganate  of  potassa,  injected  into  the 
vagina,  is  made  use  of.  The  injection  of  the  fluid  is  con- 
tinued until  it  returns  unaltered  in  color.  In  all  cases 
where  the  discharge  is  excessive,  the  tincture  of  arnica  is 
useful.  The  tincture  is  used  in  proportion  of  a  teaspoon- 
ful to  a  cup  of  water.  It  acts  as  a  mild  astringent  and 
disinfectant. 

Phlegmasia  Dolens,  OP  Milk-Leg. 

This  disease  consists  in  a  swelling  of  one  or  both 
legs —  usually  but  one.  It  may  attack  women  a  few  days 
after  child-birth.  It  may  follow  abortion,  or  severe 
inflammation  of  the  uterine  organs.  It  commences  with 
a  swelling  in  the  groin,  and  extends  into  the  thigh  and 


PHLEGMASIA   DOLENS,    OR   MILK-LEG.  597 

leg,  down  to  the  foot.  It  increases  until,  in  a  few  days, 
the  leg  may  be  double  its  normal  size.  The  leg  is  white, 
smooth,  hot ;  the  skin  tight  and  very  sensitive,  giving 
great  pain  on  being  handled. 

The  common  name  of  this  disease  is  derived  from  the 
milky  color  of  the  liquid.  The  disease  may  begin  to 
decline  in  ten  days  or  two  weeks,  but  sometimes  it  con- 
tinues for  weeks,  or  even  months,  causing  suffering  and 
general  emaciation. 

The  first  step  in  the  treatment  is  to  allay  the  irritation 
of  the  nervous  system,  which  may  be  best  done  by  a 
full  dose  of  opium,  if  nothing  be  in  the  way  of  its  adminis- 
tration. The  second  part  of  the  treatment  should  consist 
in  nutritious  food,  stimulants  and  tonics. 

Only  in  cases  where  there  is  some  very  obvious  reason 
for  it  should  cathartics  be  employed.  Nearly  all  cases 
will  do  better  without  them.  After  the  first  two  or  three 
days  the  disease  becomes  mostly  local.  The  patient 
should  be  kept  quiet,  and  the  limbs  should  be  elevated  at 
an  angle  above  the  trunk  by  raising  the  lower  end  of  the 
mattress.  Where  there  is  a  morbid  increase  of  sensibility 
upon  the  surface,  and  pain  in  the  deep-seated  nerves,  much 
relief  will  be  obtained  by  gently  rubbing  the  surface  with 
the  following,  or  some  similar  liniment : 

Compound  soap  liniment,  6  ounces. 

Tincture    of  opium,         ^  ounce. 

Tincture  of  aconite  root,  ^       " 

Extract  of  belladonna,     ^      " 

Mix. 


598  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

The  rubbing  with  this  should  be  gentle  and  continued 
for  fifteen  to  twenty  minutes  ;  rub  always  toward  the 
trunk.  This  may  be  repeated  every  six  hours,  after  which 
the  leg  should  be  enveloped  in  cotton-batting  and  covered 
with  raw  silk. 

After  the  period  of  acute  swelling  is  past  the  leg 
should  be  examined  for  bright-red  spots,  and  if  any  cir- 
cumscribed collection  of  pus  be  discovered,  it  should  be 
evacuated  at  once.  If  not,  a  roller  bandage  should  be 
applied,  beginning  at  the  toes  and  carrying  it  up  the 
whole  length  of  the  limb.  This  should  be  worn  so  long 
as  there  is  any  swelling  of  the  foot  and  leg.  The  patient 
should  not  be  permitted  to  walk  until  all  evidence  of  local 
disease  has  disappeared. 

Internally,  the  chlorate  of  potassa,  with  diluted  hydro- 
chloric acid,  quinine,  ammonia  and  iron  are  the  drugs 
most  likely  to  prove  servicable. 

Puerperal    Mania,  on    Insanity. 

Under  the  head  of  puerperal  mania  or  insanity,  writers 
have  indiscriminately  classed  all  cases  of  mental  diseases 
connected  with  pregnancy.  The  result  is  unfortunate,  as 
a  large  number  of  cases  are  not  insanity  at  all,  but  melan- 
cholia. Many  cases  have  little  or  no  connection  with 
pregnancy,  but  come  on  late  in  the  days  of  lactation,  and 
are  closely  connected  with  anemia.  The  generic  term 
puerperal  insanity  may  be  employed  to  cover  all  cases  of 
mental  disorders  connected  with  gestation.  Of  this  there 
may  be  three  special  divisions,  namely  :  I.  The  Insan- 


PUERPERAL   MANIA,    OR   INSANITY.  599 

ity  of  Pregnancy  ;  2.  Puerperal  Insanity,  so-called 
because  it  comes  on  within  a  limited  time  after  delivery  ; 
3.  The  Insanity  of  Lactation.  This  division  is  natural, 
and  will  include  all  cases  in  any  way  connected  with 
child-birth.  Only  a  partial  and  imperfect  examination  of 
these  three  kinds  of  insanity  will  be  attempted  in  our 
limited  space. 

Insanity  of  pregnancy  is  by  far  the  least  common  of 
the  three  forms.  The  intense  mental  depression,  which, 
in  many  women,  accompanies  pregnancy,  and  causes  the 
patient  to  take  a  desponding  view  of  her  condition  and  to 
look  forward  to  the  result  of  her  labor  with  the  most 
gloomy  apprehension,  seems  to  be  only  another  degree  of 
mental  derangement.  A  large  majority  of  these  cases  of 
insanity  during  pregnancy  are  well-defined  cases  of  mel- 
ancholia. A  large  proportion  of  these  cases  are  among; 
women  in  their  first  pregnancy.  This  fact,  no  doubt, 
depends  upon  the  greater  dread  experienced  by  women 
who  are  pregnant  for  the  first  time,  especially  if  they  be 
not  very  young.  Hereditary  predisposition  plays  an 
important  part,  as  in  all  forms  of  puerperal  insanity.  It 
may  not  be  very  easy  to  ascertain  the  fact  of  hereditary 
taint,  on  account  of  a  general  disposition  in  friends  to 
conceal  it. 

The  period  of  pregnancy  in  which  mental  derange- 
ment develops  itself  varies.  Most  generally,  perhaps,  it 
is  at  the  end  of  the  third  month  or  beginning  of  the 
fourth.  It  may,  however,  begin  with  conception,  and 
even  return  with  every  pregnancy. 


600        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

The  suicidal  tendency  is  generally  very  strongly 
developed.  Should  the  mental  disorder  continue  after 
delivery,  the  patient  may  very  probably  experience  a 
strong  desire  to  kill  her  child. 

Kleptomania  —  that  is,  a  disposition  to  pilfer  and  steal 
—  is  characteristic  of  this  disease.  This  influence  of  preg- 
nancy has  been  pleaded  in  criminal  courts  with  a  view  to 
exonerate  women  from  thefts  for  which  they  were  being 
tried. 

As  to  prognosis,  the  chances  for  recovery  are  thought 
to  be  on  the  whole  generally  good.  But  there  is  little  hope 
of  cure  until  after  delivery  or  termination  of  pregnancy. 

Puerperal    Insanity  (Proper). 

Puerperal  insanity  has  always  attracted  much  attention 
from  able  obstetricians.  It  may  be  defined  to  be  that  form 
of  insanity  which  comes  on  within  a  limited  period  after 
delivery,  and  which  is  probably  intimately  connected  with 
that  process.  Although  a  large  number  of  these  cases 
assume  the  character  of  acute  mania,  that  is  by  no  means 
the  only  kind  of  insanity  which  is  observed.  A  not  incon- 
siderable number  are  well-marked  examples  of  melan- 
cholia. 

There  are  also  some  peculiarities  as  to  the  period  at 
which  these  varieties  of  insanity  show  themselves,  which, 
taken  in  connection  with  certain  facts  as  to  the  cause  of 
the  disease,  may  eventually  justify  us  in  drawing  a  stronger 
line  of  demarcation  between  them  than  has  been  usual. 
Compared  with  melancholia,  it  appears  that  cases  of  acute 


PUERPERAL   INSANITY    (PROPER).  6OI 

mania  are  apt  to  come  on  at  a  period  much  nearer 
delivery. 

As  to  causes,  hereditary  predisposition  is  frequently 
met  with,  and  a  careful  inquiry  into  the  patient's  history 
will  generally  show  that  other  members  of  the  family  have 
suffered  from  mental  derangement.  In  a  large  proportion 
of  cases  circumstances  producing  debility  and  exhaustion 
or  mental  depression  have  preceded  the  attack.  Thus  it  is 
often  found  that  patients  attacked  with  it  have  had  hemor- 
rhage after  delivery,  or  have  suffered  from  some  other 
conditions  producing  exhaustion,  such  as  severe  and  com- 
plicated labor;  or  they  may  be  weak  from  over-frequent 
pregnancies,  or  by  lactation  during  the  early  months  of 
pregnancy.  Indeed  anemia  is  always  marked.  A  morbid 
state  of  the  blood  is  supposed  by  some  to  play  an  impor- 
tant part  in  the  inception  of  this  disease,  but  many  objec- 
tions have  been  urged  against  this  theory. 

The  probability  of  recovery  is  "somewhat  gloomy,  yet 
of  such  nature  as  need  not  lead  friends  to  despair.  There 
can  be  no  doubt  that  the  symptoms  are  grave  and  demand 
the  most  careful  treatment. 

The  duration  of  the  disease  varies  considerably.  Gener- 
ally speaking,  cases  of  mania  do  not  last  so  long  as  melan- 
cholia, and  recovery  takes  place  within  a  period  of  three 
months  or  even  earlier.  If  they  do  not  recover  in  six 
months,  the  chances  afterward  become  greatly  lessened. 
When  the  patient  gets  well  it  often  happens  that  her  recol- 
lection of  the  events  of  her  sickness  are  entirely  lost.  At 
other  times,  the  delusions  from  which  she  suffered  remain, 


sUKiatE 


6O3        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

and  the  personal  antipathies  which  she  formed  when  insane 
remain  and  become  permanently  established. 

Insanity  of  Lactation. 

The  insanity  of  lactation  appears  to  be  almost  twice 
as  common  as  that  of  pregnancy,  but  considerably  less 
so  than  the  true  puerperal  form.  Its  dependence  on 
causes  producing  anemia  and  exhaustion  is  obvious  and 
well  marked.  In  a  large  measure  of  cases  it  occurs  in 
women  who  have  been  debilitated  by  frequent  pregnan- 
cies and  by  length  of  nursing.  When  occurring  in  women 
with  their  first  child,  it  is  generally  in  those  who  have 
suffered  from  severe  hemorrhage  or  other  cause  of 
exhaustion,  or  whose  constitution  was  such  as  should 
have  contra-indicated  any  attempt  at  lactation. 

This  type  is  far  more  frequently  melancholic  than 
maniacal,  and  when  the  latter  form  occurs  the  attack  is  of 
much  shorter  duration  than  in  true  puerperal  insanity. 
The  danger  to  life  is  not  great,  especially  if  the  cause 
producing  the  debility  be  recognized  and  removed. 

The  symptoms  of  these  various  forms  of  insanity  are 
practically  the  same  as  in  the  non-pregnant  state. 

Generally,  there  is  more  or  less  premonitory  indication 
of  mental  disturbance  which  may  pass  unperceived.  The 
attack  is  often  preceded  by  restlessness  and  loss  of  sleep. 
The  latter  is  a  very  common  and  well-marked  symptom. 
If  the  patient  sleep,  her  rest  is  broken  and  disturbed  by 
dreams.  Causeless  dislikes  to  those  around  her  are  often 
observed.  The  nurse,  the  husband,  the  doctor,  or  the 


•i  0    H  6  3  J  J  0  ^ 


INSANITY   OF   LACTATION.  603 

child,  become  the  object  of  suspicion,  and  unless  proper 
care  be  taken  the  child  may  be  seriously  injured.  As  the 
disease  advances  the  patient  becomes  incoherent  and 
rambling  in  her  talk,  and,  in  a  fully-developed  case  she  is 
incessantly  pouring  forth  an  unconnected  jumble  of 
sentences  out  of  which  no  meaning  can  be  made.  Often 
some  prevalent  idea  which  is  dwelling  in  the  mind  of  the 
woman  can  be  traced  running  through  her  ravings.  It 
has  been  noticed  that  this  is  frequently  of  a  sexual  char- 
acter, causing  women  of  unblemished  reputation  to  use 
obscene  and  disgusting  language  which  it  is  difficult  to 
understand  that  they  could  have  even  heard. 

Religious  delusions,  as  a  fear  of  having  committed  the 
unpardonable  sin,  or  fear  of  eternal  damnation,  are  of 
frequent  occurrence,  but  perhaps  more  often  in  cases  that 
are  tending  to  the  melancholic  type.  The  tendency  to 
commit  suicide  is  often  very  marked,  and  often  is  only 
prevented  by  vigilance.  They  will  even  attempt  to 
swallow  the  bedclothes,  or  any  article  that  they  can  get 
into  their  hands.  Food  is  often  persistently  refused,  and 
the  utmost  coaxing  is  necessary  to  induce  the  patient  to 
take  sufficient  nourishment  to  prevent  starvation. 

When  the  insanity  assumes  the  form  of  melancholia,  it 
is  more  gradual.  It  may  commence  with  depression  of 
spirits  without  any  adequate  cause,  associated  with  sleep- 
lessness, disturbed  digestion,  headache  and  other  indica- 
tions of  bodily  derangement.  Such  symptoms  show  them- 
selves in  women  who  have  been  nursing  for  a  long  time, 
or  in  whom  any  other  cause  of  exhaustion  exists.  These 


604        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

indications  should  never  pass  unnoticed.  Soon  the  signs 
of  mental  depression  increase,  and  positive  delusions  show 
themselves.  In  all  cases  there  is  a  marked  disinclination 
for  food.  There  is  almost  invariably  a  disposition  to 
suicide  ;  and  it  should  never  be  forgotten,  in  these  cases, 
that  this  may  develop  itself  in  an  instant.  A  moment's 
carelessness  on  the  part  of  the  attendants  may  lead  to 
disastrous  results. 

Treatment. 

Bearing  in  mind  what  has  been  said  of  the  essential 
character  of  puerperal  insanity,  it  is  obvious  that  the 
course  of  treatment  must  be  largely  of  hygienic  character, 
directed  to  maintain  the  strength  of  the  patient,  and 
enabling  her  to  pass  through  the  disease  without  fatal 
exhaustion  ;  to  calm  the  excitement  and  give  rest  to  the 
disturbed  brain.  Rest,  food  and  sleep  are  the  essentials, 
and  should  be  administered  in  a  methodical  manner. 
This  will  require  great  judgment  and  sagacity.  Every 
endeavor  should  be  made  to  induce  the  patient  to  take  an 
abundance  of  nourishment  to  overcome  the  waste  of  tissue 
and  support  her  strength  until  the  disease  exhausts  itself. 
Much,  therefore,  will  depend  upon  the  ingenuity  of  the 
attendants  in  varying  and  changing  the  cuisine  so  as  to 
tempt  the  taste,  that  the  quantity  of  food  taken  by  the 
patient  may  be  made  considerable. 

Solid  food  is  best  suited  to  this  class  of  patients. 
Nourishing  liquids  should  be  drunk.  In  some  cases,  how- 
ever, after  you  have  exhausted  all  the  means  within  your 


INSANITY   OF   LACTATION.  605 

power,  it  may  become  a  necessity,  to  prevent  starvation, 
to  resort  to  forcible  means  to  supply  the  much-needed 
nutriment. 

Various  contrivances  have  been  employed  for  this  pur- 
pose, which  depend  upon  the  judgment  and  ingenuity  of 
the  attendants.  One  of  the  most  simple,  perhaps,  is 
introducing  a  dessert-spoon  forcibly  between  the  teeth. 
The  patient  should  be  controlled  by  an  adequate  number 
of  attendants.  Slowly  inject  into  the  mouth  suitable 
nourishment,  by  means  of  an  india-rubber  bottle  to  which 
is  attached  a  nozzle,  which  may  be  procured  at  almost  any 
drug-store.  Care  should  be  taken  not  to  inject  more  than 
an  ounce  at  a  time,  and  to  allow  the  patient  to  breathe 
between  each  act  of  swallowing. 

An  instrument  called  Paley's  feeding-bottle  answers 
admirably  for  forcibly  administering  nourishment.  Beef 
tea  or  strong  soup,  mixed  with  some  farinaceous  sub- 
stance, or  some  of  the  concentrated  foods  of  modern 
invention  may  be  used  profitably. 

For  producing  sleep,  perhaps  nothing  is  better  than 
chloral  hydrate  alone  or  in  combination  with  bromide  of 
potassium.  Baths  will  form  a  good  auxiliary  for  procur- 
ing sleep.  To  attain  the  best  effects  from  the  use  of 
baths,  the  patient  should  be  immersed  in  water  at  a' tem- 
perature of  90°  to  92°  for  at  least  half  an  hour.  If  she  be 
refractory,  this  may  be  difficult  to  accomplish.  In  such 
cases,  resort  may  be  had  to  the  wet  pack,  which  will 
answer  the  same  purpose.  Judicious  nursing  is  of  the 
greatest  importance.  The  patient  should  be  kept  in 


606  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

a  cool,  well-ventilated  and  somewhat  darkened  room.  If 
possible,  she  should  remain  in  bed,  or,  at  least,  endeavors 
should  be  made  to  restrain  the  excessive  restless  motion 
which  has  so  much  effect  in  producing  exhaustion.  It  has 
been  observed  that  the  h.usband  and  near  relatives  have 
generally  a  prejudicial  and  exciting  effect  on  the  wife,  and 
other  attendants  can  manage  her  more  satisfactorily. 
Much  will  depend  upon  the  manner  in  which  this  part  of 
the  treatment  is  effected.  Rough,  unkind  nurses  who  do 
not  know  how  to  act  gently,  but  with  firmness,  will 
certainly  aggravate  and  prolong  the  disease. 

When  convalescence  is  commencing,  change  of  air  and 
scene  will  often  be  found  of  great  value.  Removal  to 
some  quiet  country  place,  where  the  patient  can  enjoy  an 
abundance  of  air  and  exercise  in  the  company  of  her 
nurse  and  without  the  excitement  of  seeing  many  people, 
is  especially  to  be  recommended. 

Puerperal    Convulsions. 

By  puerperal  convulsions  we  understand  a  peculiar 
kind  of  epileptiform  convulsion,  which  may  occur  in  the 
latter  months  of  pregnancy,  or  during  or  after  parturition. 
It  is  one  of  the  most  grave  and  formidable  diseases  with 
which  the  obstetrician  has  to  grapple.  The  attack  is 
often  so  sudden  and  unexpected,  so  terrible  in  its  nature 
and  so  full  of  danger  to  both  mother  and  child,  that  it  is 
to  be  dreaded  more  than  any  of  the  other  diseases  attend- 
ing the  child-bearing  state. 

The  attack  seldom  occurs  without  being  preceded  by 
certain  premonitory  symptoms.  It  is  true,  however,  that 


PUERPERAL   CONVULSIONS.  607 

these  are  frequently  so  slight  as  to  escape  attention,  and 
the  suspicion  is  not  aroused  until  the  patient  is  in  convul- 
sions. Still,  a  careful  investigation  will  generally  show 
that  some  symptoms  did  exist,  which,  if  they  had  been 
observed,  would  have  put  the  physician  on  his  guard,  and 
might  have  enabled  him  to  intercept  the  attacks.  Hence, 
a  knowledge  of  these  precursory  symptoms  is  of  real 
benefit.  They  are  chiefly  confined  to  the  brain. 

There  will  be  severe  headache,  sometimes  confined  only 
to  one  side  ;  occasional  attacks  of  dizziness  ;  spots  before 
the  eyes  ;  loss  of  sight,  or  impairment  of  the  intellectual 
faculties.  Such  symptoms  in  a  pregnant  woman  are  of  the 
gravest  character,  and  should  at  once  call  for  an  investiga- 
tion of  her  condition.  Swelling  of  the  face  and  upper 
extremities  is  another  precursor  of  evil,  and  demands 
attention. 

Whether  there  have  been  any  of  the  above  indications 
of  the  attack  or  not,  so  soon  as  the  convulsions  come  on 
there  is  no  longer  any  room  for  doubt  as  to  the  nature  of 
the  case.  The  attack  is  generally  sudden,  and  is  charac- 
terized by  the  same  symptoms  as  mark  a  severe  attack  of 
epilepsy,  or  the  convulsions  of  children.  There  is  aturpid, 
purple  condition  of  the  face  ;  convulsive  movements  of  the 
face  and  whole  body  ;  foaming  at  the  mouth  ;  repeated 
and  sudden  closure  of  the  jaw,  by  which  the  tongue  is  fre- 
quently dreadfully  bitten  ;  the  respiration  is  at  first 
irregular,  and,  being  forced  through  the  closed  teeth  and 
the  foam  of  the  mouth,  has  a  peculiar  hissing  sound, 
which  once  heard  can  never  be  mistaken.  The  pulse  is 


6.  S  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

quick,  full  and  hard  at  the  beginning,  but  afterwards 
becomes  small  and  scarcely  perceptible.  There  may  be 
involuntary  discharges  from  the  bowels  and  kidneys. 

This  fit  lasts  for  a  time  varying  from  five  minutes  to 
half  an  hour,  and  then  gradually  subsides.  The  pulse 
often  becomes  calm  and  the  patient  conscious.  She  may 
remain  in  a  state  of  complete  coma,  with  heavy  breathing. 
The  more  profound  the  coma,  the  greater  the  danger. 
The  calm  is  generally  short  in  duration,  being  often  fol- 
lowed by  a  recurrence  of  repeated  paroxysms  and  inter- 
vals. 

As  already  remarked,  puerperal  convulsions  may  come 
on  either  before,  during  or  after  labor.  When  they  occur 
before  labor,  uterine  contraction  is  very  apt  to  come 
on  at  the  same  time  with  the  fit,  and  the  child  is  born 
dead.  When  they  occur  during  labor,  the  latter  runs 
nearly  its  natural  course,  the  fits  recurring  with  the  pains. 
When  convulsions  occur  after  labor,  they  generally  take 
place  in  from  two  to  four  hours  after  the  child  is  born,  and 
are  attributable  to  some  injury  received  by  the  brain  and 
nervous  system  during  the  parturient  effort. 

Treatment. 

Much  has  been  said  by  distinguished  physicians  as  to 
the  remedial  effect  of  blood-letting.  Many  physicians  are 
disposed  to  award  it  the  same  place  in  the  treatment  of 
puerperal  convulsions  that  the  practice  of  medicine,  has 
consigned  it  in  other  diseases,  believing  that,  although 
the  immediate  effect  of  bleeding  is  to  unload  the  brain 


PUERPERAL   CONVULSIONS.  609 

• 

and  relieve  the  nervous  irritability,  it  will  soon  be  fol- 
lowed by  an  equal  amount  of  pressure  of  blood,  and  of  a 
much  inferior  quality,  the  waste  having  been  supplied  by 
serum  taken  from  all  the  tissues  of  the  system.  However 
well  this  may  look  in  theory,  it  is  nevertheless  true  that 
the  timely  extraction  of  a  quantity  of  blood  suited  to  the 
constitution  of  the  patient  will  be  followed  by  better 
results  than  any  other  course  of  treatment  that  may  be 
adopted  as  a  substitute.  The  bleeding,  in  the  first  place, 
exerts  a  direct  sedative  influence  upon  the  cord,  and  thus 
tends  to  prevent  convulsions.  Second,  bleeding  prevents 
the  injury  which  the  nerve  centers  would  sustain  were 
they  to  continue  congested.  If  any  other  treatment  be 
substituted  for  this,  in  four  out  of  five  cases  the  patient 
will  die.  The  quantity  of  blood  to  be  taken  is  from 
twenty  to  forty  fluid  ounces.  If  the  patient  be  too  weak 
for  general  blood-letting,  cups  or  leeches  may  be  applied. 

Purgatives  are  also  important.  Give  a  brisk  cathartic, 
such  as  ten  to  twenty  grains  of  calomel.  Apply  cold  to 
the  back  of  the  head  and  neck  after  the  purge.  Should 
coma  appear,  blister  the  back  of  the  neck.  Anesthetics 
and  anodynes  act  most  happily  after  the  purgative. 
Chloroform  is  the  anesthetic  for  convulsions.  Place  a  few 
drops  on  a  napkin,  and  repeat  when  necessary.  Bromide 
of  potassium  in  full  doses  acts  well  in  relieving  the  con- 
gestion. Follow  the  bromide  with  chloral  hydrate.  Do 
not  induce  premature  labor.  Arrest  the  convulsions  and 
let  gestation  proceed.  If  convulsions  come  on  during 
labor,  hurry  the  dilatation  of  the  uterus.  Bleeding  does 
this. 


6lO  MAIDENHOOD    AND   MOTHERHOOD. 


Inward    Fevers.    (Puerperal   Peritonitis,  Etc.) 

Another  malady  has  received  various  names,  such  as 
child-bed  fever,  puerperal  fever,  peritoneal  fever,  puer- 
peral peritonitis,  low  fever  of  child-bed,  and  lastly  puer- 
peral septicemia.  By  some  it  has  been  considered  as  a 
fever  dependent  on  local  inflammation  ;  by  others,  a  blood 
disease.  Each  author  who  has  written  upon  the  subject 
has  adopted  a  classification  in  accordance  with  his  own 
views  and  experience.  It  would  neither  be  possible  nor 
edifying  in  a  work  of  this  kind  to  give  a  synopsis  of  all. 

Ramsbotham  says  :  "  The  student  is  liable  to  be 
deceived  if  he  ground  his  idea  of  this  malady  solely  on 
the  observation  of  one  or  two  writers,  especially  those 
who  have  witnessed  epidemics  as  they  have  appeared  in 
hospital  practice,  however  graphic  the  representations 
may  be,  because  scarcely  any  two  of  them  have  resem- 
bled each  other,  and  because  the  symptoms  in  all  cases 
are  much  modified  by  the  temperature  and  other  qualities 
of  the  atmosphere,  the  season  of  the  year,  the  localities 
in  which  the  disease  appears,  and  several  external  circum- 
stances, independently  of  the  constitution  of  the  patient 
herself."  • 

There  may  be  said  to  be  four  principal  varieties  of  this 
disease.  The  first  and  most  common  variety  is  character- 
ized by  pain  and  tenderness  in  the  abdomen,  preceded  by 
a  chill  and  accompanied  by  a  hot  skin,  rapid  pulse,  and 
sometimes  profuse  perspiration.  In  this  form,  the  uterus 
and  its  appendages,  or  the  peritoneum,  receive  the  great- 
est force  of  the  blow. 


INWARD   FEVERS.  6ll 

The  second  form  assumes  the  character  of  a  mild 
typhus  accompanied  by  intestinal  irritation.  It  is  ushered 
in  by  rigors,  followed  by  a  hot  fit,  and  succeeded  by 
nausea  and  vomiting  or  diarrhea,  with  most  offensive 
evacuations.  The  tongue,  at  first  loaded  and  white,  soon 
becomes  preternaturally  red,  as  in  those  affected  by 
chronic  dysentery.  The  skin  is  dry  and  hot  and  of  a 
dusky  yellow  hue  ;  the  mind  is  unsettled,  without  -being 
absolutely  delirious  ;  the  debility  is  extreme  and  the  limbs 
tremulous.  In  some  cases  these  symptoms  are  followed 
by  acute  inflammation  of  some  important  organ,  or  of  the 
joints,  tissues  of  the  womb  and  suppuration  of  its  lymphatics 
or  veins.  There  is  usually  suppression  of  the  rnilk,  and 
sometimes  of  the  lochia. 

In  the  third  variety  the  main  mischief  seems  to  be 
expended  on  the  nervous  system.  There  is  great  delirium, 
agitation,  and  a  sense  of  impending  death.  This  is  liable 
to  be  followed  by  fatal  syncope  and  coma,  and  may 
supervene  on  either  of  the  other  forms. 

The  fourth  and  worst  form  of  puerperal  fever  affoids 
the  most  extensive  evidence  of  the  diffusion  of  a  poison 
over  the  system  through  the  blood,  and  presents  the  most 
perfect  analogy  with  malignant  scarlet  fever.  Shivering 
and  abdominal  pains  are  followed  by  rapid  exhaustion, 
quick  pulse,  glassy  eye  and  dusky  skin.  There  are  often 
pains  in  the  chest,  husky  cough,  laborious  breathing,  and 
other  evidences  of  inflammation  of  the  lungs,  which  after 
death  may  be  found  granulous.  Abscesses  of  the  joints 
and  cellular  tissues,  phlebitis  and  gangrene  of  the  intestines, 
are  among  the  ravages  of  this  most  fatal  malady. 


6l2  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

There  area  few  general  symptoms  which  maybe  added 
to  those  mentioned  above  as  characterizing  the  different 
forms.  The  pulse  is  always  accelerated,  ranging  from 
1 15  to  140  or  1 60.  In  the  inflammatory  form  it  is  full  and 
hard ;  in  the  adynamic,  weak  and  small  ;  pain  is  not 
uniformly  present,  though,  in  most  cases,  generally  there 
is  tympanitis  and  constipation.  The  lochia  are  suppressed 
or  voided  with  pain  ;  there  is  often  a  vomiting  of  yellow 
or  green  bitter  matter,  and  in  the  last  stage  a  discharge 
resembling  black  vomit.  The  intellect  is  often  undis- 
turbed until  the  last,  though  the  patient  often  takes  a  great 
aversion  to  her  infant. 

Numerous  conditions  have  been  laid  down  as  produc- 
tive of  this  disease.  Among  the  predisposing  are  atmos- 
pheric changes,  depressing  passions,  unhealthy  residues, 

/ 
dissipation,  bad  diet,  etc.     Among  the  specific  causes  are 

epidemic  influences,  difficult  labor,  suppression  of  the 
lochia  and  lacteal  secretions,  and  contagion. 

There  are  many  who  look  upon  this  as  a  blood  disease  ; 
who  believe  that  puerperal  fever  originates  in  a  vitiation 
of  the  fluids,  that  the  causes  which  are  capable  of  vitiating 
the  fluids  are  particularly  rife  at  child-birth,  and  that  the 
various  forms  of  puerperal  fever  depend  upon  this  one 
cause,  attd  are  derived  from  it.  Others,  on  the  contrary, 
believe  that  the  primary  impression  is  made  upon  the 
nervous  system. 

The  course  of  treatment  to  be  adopted  will  depend 
upon  what  views  are  held  in  regard  to  the  cause  of  the 
disease.  The  practice  of  extraction  of  blood  has  been  to 


INWARD   FEVER.  6f3 

a  very  great  extent  abandoned.  James  G.  Glover,  of 
London,  sums  up  the  treatment  in  an  article  in  the  Lancet  : 
First,  a  dose  of  quinine  and  iron  every  three  hours,  in 
the  following  formula  : 

Sulphate  of  quinine,  2  grains. 

Tincture  of  iron,  10  drops. 

Spirits  of  chloroform,  10  drops. 

Simple  syrup,  y%  teaspoon. 

Water,  I  ounce. 

Mix  for  one  dose. 

Secondly,  a  dose  of  opium  every  three,  four,  six  or 
eight  hours,  according  to  the  pain,  without  ipicac,  which 
may  set  up  a  sickness,  and  without  calomel,  which  may  set 
up  unnecessary  irritation  of  the  bowels.  The  dose  of 
opium,  say  half  a  grain,  is  best  given  in  the  form  of 
a  pill. 

Thirdly,  a  large  linseed  or  bran  poultice  over  the 
stomach,  repeated  every  three  or  four  hours.  Sprinkling 
a  little  laudanum  over  it  adds  to  its  soothing  effect. 

Fourthly,  and  specially,  vaginal  injection  at  least  twice 
daily  of  warm  water  with  a  little  Condy's  fluid  in  it. 

The  diet  should  consist  of  good  beef  tea  or  chicken 
broth,  with  generally  a  small  regulated  allowance  of 
brandy,  a  dessert-spoonful  every  three  or  four  hours. 
Sometimes  the  brandy  is  best  given  with  arrowroot. 

In  cases  where  there  is  an  excessive  discharge,  accom- 
panied by  a  relaxed  condition  of  the  uterus,  give  one- 
drachm  doses  of  liquid  extract  of  ergot,  repeated  every 
three  or  four  hours,  and  give  internally: 


614  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Sulphate  of  quinine,  30  grains. 
Hydrobromic  acid,  6  drachms. 
Water,  2  ounces. 
Mix. 

A  teaspoonful  in  water  three  times  daily. 
By  this  means   large  doses  of  quinine  may  be  taken 
without  causing  headache. 

When  the  discharge  is  suspended,  the  treatment  con- 
sists of  turpentine  stupes  applied  over  the  lower  part  of 
the  abdomen,  with  the  addition  of  warm,  moist  cloths,  or 
of  sponges  pressed  out  of  warm  water  and  applied  to  the 
external  parts.  In  special  cases  that  require  an  antiseptic 
wash,  use  a  solution  of  thymol,  one  part  to  500  parts  of 
water. 

Leucorrhea,  OP  "  Whites." 

Perhaps  no  disease  common  to  women  is  of  more  fre- 
quent occurrence  than  leucorrhea,  and  although  it  cannot 
be  said  to  directly  put  the  patient's  life  in  jeopardy,  yet  it 
contributes  greatly  to  general  exhaustion  and  discomfort. 
It  is  manifested  by  a  flow  of  mucus,  more  or  less  copious, 
from  the  genital  organs,  according  to  the  degree  of  the 
constitutional  disturbance  and  extent  of  the  inflammation. 

At  times  it  is  almost  white,  from  which  it  takes  its 
name  ;  again,  of  a  bluish,  greenish,  or  yellowish  color  ; 
at  times  it  is  unodorous,  at  others  very  fetid.  The  tissues 
involved  in  the  irritation  and  inflammation  may  be  in  the 
Fallopian  tubes,  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  internal 
surface  of  the  womb,  or  its  neck,  or  the  walls  of  the 
vagina. 


LEUCORRHEA,    OR   "  WHITES." 


This  disease  may  be  classified  according  to  the 
character  of  the  constitutional  disturbance  creating  it. 
Such  divisions  would  only  tend  to  mistify.  There  is  no 
doubt  in  the  mind  of  the  intelligent  observer  that  leucor- 
rhea,  in  many  instances,  is  the  natural  result  of  constitu- 
tional predisposition.  Hence,  it  is  found  most  commonly 
in  lymphatic  subjects  who  are  feeble  and  ill-developed. 

These  persons  are  easily  recognized  by  want  of  muscular 
vigor,  by  soft  flesh,  pallid  faces,  weak  digestion  and  morbid 
tendencies.  The  writer  has  known  children  of  such  con- 
stitutional weaknesses  to  develop  leucorrhea. 

This  disturbance,  like  the  other  diseases  of  the  uterine 
organs  which  have  been  described,  is  affected  in  no 
trifling  manner  by  what  the  patient  eats,  drinks  and 
wherewithal  she  clothes  herself.  A  stimulatory  drink 
used  freely  in  France  is  said  by  a  French  author  to  be  a 
very  common  cause  of  leucorrhea  among  French  women  ; 
he  has  frequently  demonstrated  it  by  stopping  the 
patient's  use  of  the  stimulant,  whereupon  the  leucorrhea 
subsided. 

Local  irritation,  resulting  from  the  application  of 
instruments,  wearing  of  pessaries,  or  solitary  habits  of  a 
vicious  character,  usually  tend  to  produce  this  disease. 

Another  very  fruitful  cause  may  be  found  in  the 
results  of  exposure  to  extreme  temperatures  of  either  heat 
or  cold,  either  insufficient  or  excessive  exercise,  exposure 
in  damp  clothing,  wet  feet,  irritating  medicated  injections  ; 
in  short,.  any  interference  with  the  normal  functions  of  the 
uterine  organs  resulting  in  their  irritation  or  inflammation, 
will  develop  a  case  of  leucorrhea. 


6l6        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

The  character  of  the  discharge  will  frequently  bea 
valuable  index  to  the  organ  suffering  from  the  inflamma- 
tion, and  thus  direct  to  intelligent  treatment.  For 
example,  a  discharge  from  the  vagina,  resulting  from 
mere  excitement  in  the  vaginal  walls,  is  thin,  glairy,  and 
not  very  tenacious,  without  color,  and  with  but  little 
•consistence.  When  a  moderate  excitement  of  the  internal 
mucous  membrane  of  the  neck  of  the  uterus  produces  a 
•discharge  of  mucus  sufficient  to  appear  at  the  orifice  of 
the  vagina,  the  discharge  is  white,  not  unlike  milk,  and, 
when  examined  closely,  will  be  found  to  consist  of  minute 
particles,  swimming  in  clear  fluid.  If  the  discharge  flow 
from  the  mouth  or  internal  surface  of  the  uterus,  it  is 
thick,  and  resembles  very  closely  the  white  of  an  egg. 

The  reader  will  understand,  from  what  has  been  said, 
that  much  may  be  learned,  by  carefully  examining  the 
color  and  character  of  the  discharge,  as  to  the  special  part 
involved  in  the  disease,  that  the  remedies  may  be  appro- 
priately directed.  But  leucorrhea  may  also  result  from 
displacements  or  flexions  of  the  uterus.  These  abnormal 
positions  of  the  uterus  and  their  effects  will  be  explained 
in  their  appropriate  places. 

Although  we  find  patients  suffering  from  leucorrhea  at 
all  ages,  yet  it  affects  women  more  particularly  during 
their  menstrual  life.  It  is  an  obstinate  and  intractable 
disease,  difficult  to  cure,  often  exhausting  the  patience 
even  of  the  most  skillful  physicians. 

This  may  result  in  many  instances  from  an  endeavor 
to  treat  it  as  an  independent  disease,  or  from  an  inability 


LEUCORRHEA,    OR    "WHITES." 


to  properly  apply  the  remedies  adapted  to  its  cure, 
because  the  physician  may  not  be  able  to  get  such  control 
of  the  patient  (on  account  of  her  position  in  society)  as  to 
enable  him  to  bring  to  bear  treatment  meeting  the  indica- 
tions in  the  case. 

No  intelligent  person  would  attempt,  with  an  expec- 
toration from  the  bronchial  tubes,  to  base  his  treatment 
upon  the  theory  that  when  the  expectoration  ceases  the 
disease  will  be  cured.  All  mucous  membranes  in  a  healthy 
condition  are  kept  moist  with  a  bland  fluid,  and  it  is  only 
when  the  exudation  becomes  "excessive,  on  account  of 
some  irritating  cause,  that  we  have  an  evidence  of  an 
existing  disease. 

Since  the  uterus  and  vagina  are  covered  with  mucous 
membranes,  which  are  subject  to  excessive  exudation, 
there  is  nothing  extraordinary  or  strange  in  the  disease 
called  leucorrhea,  nor  in  the  variety  of  the  discharge,  as 
every  person  has  observed  similar  variations  in  the  dis-' 
charge  from  the  mucous  membrane  lining  the  nasal 
organs.  In  view  of  the  debilitating  effect  of  an  excessive 
exudation  from  any  mucous  surface,  it  is  not  surprising 
to  find  it  intensified  in  the  uterine  organs,  because  in 
them  we  have  the  additional  debility  induced  by  the 
monthly  excitement  and  congestion  of  the  ovaries  and 
uterus  and  the  menstrual  discharge. 

Leucorrhea  may  be  either  acute  or  chronic.  The  acute 
variety  may  either  run  its  course  and  get  entirely  well,  or 
it  may  result  in  the  chronic  form.  There  are  marked 
local  disturbances  accompanying  the  acute.  There  is  a 


6l8        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

sensation  of  itching  of  the  rectum,  sometimes  very  severe, 
and  the  local  irritation  spreads  to  the  surrounding  parts, 
as  the  bladder,  inducing  a  constant  desire  to  void  urine. 
The  characteristic  discharge,  accompanied  by  a  sensation 
of  burning,  soon  makes  its  appearance.  These  symptoms 
grow  more  aggravated  for  a  few  days.  The  discharge 
increases  in  quantity  and  changes  in  color.  It  was  at 
first  white,  but  assumes  either  a  yellowish  or  greenish 
hue.  The  inclination  to  urinate  frequently  continues,  and 
the  urine  is  disposed  to  scald  the  parts  ;  thus  the  inflam- 
mation is  extended,  and  the  pain  becomes  more  intensi- 
fied. In  the  course  of  a  week  or  more,  the  inflammatory 
symptoms  subside.  This  is  succeeded  by  an  increase  in 
the  discharge  ;  the  consistency  is  thicker  and  the  color 
darker.  In  the  course  of  a  few  days  these  symptoms 
subside  and  the  patient  rapidly  improves.  She  may  be 
entirely  well  inside  a  month  if  the  case  have  been  judici- 
ously managed,  but,  as  indicated  above,  if  not  properly 
treated,  the  trouble  may  assume  a  chronic  form,  and  its 
duration  be  uncertain. 

It  sometimes  happens,  in  the  chronic  form,  that  the 
discharge  intermits  ;  at  other  times  it  is  continuous. 
The  itching  and  swelling  of  the  parts  occasionally  is 
prolonged  in  the  chronic  form.  Especially  is  this  true  in 
reference  to  itching,  which  not  infrequently  troubles  the 
patient  for  a  long  period.  This  variety  of  leucorrhea 
makes  a  decided  impression  upon  the  physical  appearance 
of  the  patient.  Intense  suffering  from  irritation  rapidly 
exhausts  the  vital  forces  of  the  system,  leaving  it  feeble 


LEUCORRHEA,    OR   "  WHITES."  619 

and  weak,  The  stomach  sympathizes,  and  loses  either  its 
desire  for  food  or  rejects  it  on  the  slightest  provocation. 
This  impaired  condition  of  the  digestive  organs  added  to 
the  already  reduced  condition  of  the  system,  is  manifested 
by  general  lassitude.  The  face  is  puffed  and  pale,  bear- 
ing evidence  of  an  impoverished  condition  of  the  blood. 
Hence,  dizziness,  fainting,  and  hysteria  supervene. 

There  is  a  transient  form  of  leucorrhea  which  makes  its 
appearance  before  or  after  menstruation.  This  variety  is 
caused  from  the  habit  of  life,  and  usually  does  not  subject 
the  patient  to  special  trouble,  but  soon  yields  whenever  an 
intelligent  course  of  hygiene  is  adopted. 

Leucorrhea  sometimes  appears  to  be  substituted  for  the 
menses,  and  patients  will  tell  you  that  they  "  change  "  all 
right  ;  that  there  is  no  color  ;  that  it  resembles  "  whites. " 

Treatment. 

The  first  and  most  important  feature  to  be  observed  by 
every  patient  suffering  from  this  troublesome  affection  is 
cleanliness.  This  will  be  best  accomplished  by  baths  and 
injections.  Water  should  be  freely  introduced  into  the 
vagina  by  the  aid  of  a  rubber  syringe.  The  temperature 
of  the  water  thrown  into  the  vagina  should  be  varied  to 
meet  the  indications  of  the  particular  phase  of  the  disease 
that  is  present. 

If  there  be  no  well-marked  evidence  of  extensive  inflam- 
mation of  the  uterus  or  adjacent  organs,  but  simple  irrita- 
tion of  the  vaginal  walls,  cold  water,  if  not  unpleasant, 
freely  applied,  will  cleanse  the  vagina 'and  stimulate  the 


62O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

diseased  membrane  to  a  more  healthy  action.  This  may 
be  followed  by  some  mild  astringent,  as  a  decoction  of  oak 
bark,  or  a  tea  made  of  sage,  or  Young  Hyson,  to  which 
may  be  added  a  teaspoonful  of  salt  to  each  pint  employed. 
Much  good  will  be  accomplished  by  the  free  use  of  the 
cold  water. 

If,  however,  there  be  the  distressing  characteristics  of 
extensive  inflammation,  either  of  the  vagina  or  uterus,  the 
water  used  for  the  injection  should  be  of  high  tempera- 
ture—  as  hot  as  can,  with  safety  from  scalding,  be  intro- 
duced and  freely  applied.  As  much  as  a  gallon  of  water 
at  a  single  application  can  be  used.  It  will  do  more  to 
allay  the  inflamed  condition,  which  is  the  exciting  cause 
of  the  leucorrhea,  than  any  other  remedy  which  is  at  the 
command  of  common  people  or  perhaps  physicians. 

The  baths,  or  injections  of  water,  may  very  advan- 
tageously be  followed  by  a  weak  solution  of  sugar  of  lead, 
in  the  proportion  of  two  drachms  (one-fourth  ounce)  to  a 
pint  of  soft  water.  This  makes  a  very  cooling  and  astrin- 
gent injection  in  this  disease  (especially  at  the  commence- 
ment of  the  discharge).  It  should  be  used  from  two  to 
four  times  daily,  the  bowels  being  kept  open  by  a 
saline  purgative  —  small  doses  of  Epsom  salts.  With 
patients  of  plethoric  temperament,  there  should  be  careful 
attention  to  diet,  general  baths,  etc.  Sulphate  of  zinc  may 
be  used  instead  of  the  sugar  of  lead,  but  it  requires  a 
little  larger  quantity  of  the  zinc  in  proportion  to  the  water 

Many  patients  experience  very  beneficial  results  from 
the  following  comp'ound  when  it  agrees  with  the  stomach. 


LEUCORRHEA,    OR   "WHITES."  621 

Its  unpleasant  taste  is  offensive  to  some  delicate  stomachs, 
and  is  not  well  borne  :  Balsam  of  copaiba,  one  ounce  ; 
spirits  of  nitre,  one  ounce  ;  oil  of  cubebs,  one-quarter 
ounce  ;  turpentine,  one  drachm  ;  alcohol,  one-half  ounce  ; 
mix  together  and  shake  well  ;  then  add  two  ounces  of 
simple  syrup  ;  take  a  teaspoonful  three  times  daily,  shaking 
well  before  taking.  Patients  who  cannot  take  the  copaiba 
in  this  manner,  on  account  of  its  unpleasant  taste,  can 
procure  it  in  capsules,  a  convenient  method  of  administer- 
ing the  drug. 

The  above  remedy  may  be  materially  assisted  by  injec- 
tions made  of  carbolic  acid,  one  teaspoonful ;  sugar  of  lead, 
one-quarter  ounce  ;  salt,  one-quarter  ounce  ;  glycerine, 
one  ounce.  Dissolve  the  carbolic  acid  in  the  glycerine  ;  add 
half  pint  of  soft  water,  and  then  add  the  lead  and  salt.  After 
shaking  well,  add  a  heaping  teaspoonful  of  brown  sugar,  and 
it  is  ready  for  use.  To  half  pint  of  water  add  two  teaspoon- 
fuls  of  the  mixture  for  an  injection,  to  be  used  after  the  free 
use  of  the  pure  water,  either  cold  or  hot,  once  or  twice 
daily. 

In  the  class  of  cases  where  the  leucorrhea  takes  the 
place  of  the  menses,  a  different  line  of  treatment  will  have 
to  be  instituted.  In  such  cases  Nature  is  evidently  making 
a  vigorous  effort  to  perform  her  functions,  but  does  not  suc- 
ceed in  giving  the  discharge  its  specific  color  and  quality. 
The  patient,  however,  has  all  the  usual  symptoms  attending 
the  menstrual  discharge,  such  as  a  sense  of  weight  at  the 
lower  part  of  the  abdomen,  headache,  weariness,  lassitude 
and  backache.  This  condition  is  mosf  frequently  met  in 


622  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

young  girls  at  the  beginning  of  their  menstrual  life,  in  which 
cases  it  may  soon  be  substituted  by  the  natural  menstrual 
fluid,  but  it  has  been  known  many  times  among  women 
who  had  borne  children. 

This  form  of  leucorrhea  is  substantially  suppression  of 
the  menses,  and  is  due  mainly  to  general  constitutional 
derangement.  The  treatment  should  consist  in  means 
adapted  to  the  improvement  of  the  general  health.  Indeed, 
this  is,  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  true  of  all  the  phases  of 
leucorrhea.  There  is  a  general  tendency  to  constitutional 
weakness ;  consequently,  anything  calculated  to  improve 
the  weakened  condition  of  the  system  should  occupy  a 
pre-eminent  place  in  the  treatment.  The  patient  should 
be  removed  from  all  influences  that  tend  to  debilitate  or 
unbalance  the  equilibrium  of  the  system. 

The  influence  of  severe  mental  strain  in  school  duties  or 
other  occupations,  or  social  surroundings  that  unduly  excite 
the  nervous  system  or  exhaust  the  vital  forces  of  the  body, 
should  be  substituted  with  mental  relaxation  and  pleasant 
employment  in  a  pure,  bracing  atmosphere. 

The  food  of  such  patients  should  be  very  nutritious  but 
digestible  —  pure,  rich  milk,  with  good,  well-baked  brown 
bread,  an  abundant  supply  of  fresh  butter,  and  a  reasonable 
quantity  of  meats.  If  the  digestion  be  feeble,  the  meats 
should  be  well  cooked  in  the  manner  prescribed  in  the 
article  "  Food."  The  quantity  of  food  taken  at  any  one 
time  should  only  be  equal  to  the  digestive  power  of  the 
stomach.  Better  to  eat  more  frequently  than  overload 
the  stomach  at  any  one  time. 


MILK   FEVER   AND    SORE   BREASTS.  623 

If  a  stimulant  be  required,  good,  pure,  grape  wine  or 
beer  may  be  advantageously  employed  in  limited  quanti- 
ties. Due  attention  should  be  paid  to  the  bowels.  An 
occasional  laxative  that  will  pretty  thoroughly  unload  them 
will  be  highly  beneficial,  by  permitting  the  rapid  and  com- 
plete absorption  of  whatever  nutritive  material  may  be 
presented  to  the  absorbing  organs.  All  exposure  to 
extreme  temperatures  of  either  heat  or  cold  should  be 
carefully  avoided,  and  the  skin  should  be  kept  clean  and 
moist,  perfectly  protected  by  clothing  suitable  to  the  tem- 
perature of  the  atmosphere.  The  underwear  should  be 
frequently  changed. 

Milk  Fever  and  Sore  Breasts. 

From  the  second  to  the  fourth  day  of  the  child-bed 
period  the  breasts  of  the  mother  begin  to  swell  and 
become  full,  tense  and  nobular,  or  lumpy,  and  may  be 
sensitive  to  the  touch.  The  glands  under  the  arm  enlarge 
and  radiating  pains  are  often  felt  in  the  breast,  shoulder 
and  arm. 

The  intensity  of  the  mammary  congestion  differs  in 
different  individuals.  It  is  more  pronounced  in  women 
who  postpone  nursing  their  children  until  the  secretion  of 
milk  is  firmly  established.  In  some  cases  it  may  be 
absent  altogether. 

Since  the  general  introduction  of  the  thermometer 
into  practice  and  the  better  understanding  of  the  causes 
of  fever  in  the  puerperal  state,  the  existence  of  a  distinct 
milk  fever,  referable  to  functional  disturbances  in  the  breast 


624  MAIDEMHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

during  the  period  in  question,  has  been  found  to  bean 
entirely  exceptional  occurrence.  The  temperature  tables 
that  have  been  carefully  kept  for  many  years  prove  that, 
under  normal  conditions,  on  the  third  day,  the  temperatures 
do  not  rise  above  a  hundred  and  a  half  degrees.  With  this 
slight  increase  of  fever  there  is  often  considerable  general 
disturbance,  indicated  by  slight  chilly  sensations,  headache, 
loss  of  appetite  and  quickened  pulse,  which,  however, 
disappears  in  the  course  of  twenty-four  hours,  with  pro- 
fuse perspiration  and  an  abundance  of  milk.  There  is, 
occasionally,  a  higher  temperature  associated  with 
extreme  tenderness  and  reddening  of  the  breasts,  which 
may  subside  when  they  are  partially  unloaded. 

There  is,  however,  in  some  cases,  either  from  the 
result  of  cold  or  the  continued  distension  of  the  milk- 
vessels,  an  increased  amount  of  inflammation,  which  may 
be  observed  as  the  breast  becomes  more  swollen  and  hard, 
with  an  increased  amount  of  fever,  and  great  tenderness. 
This  will  be  accompanied  by  chilly  sensations,  the  breast 
at  the  same  time  becoming  more  turgid  or  hard  and  pain- 
ful, indicating  the  formation  of  an  abscess. 

Women  are  most  usually  subject  to  this  distressing 
complaint  during  the  first  weeks  of  nursing.  It  may 
develop  at  any  subsequent  period  if  the  patient  take  cold, 
or  through  the  engorgement  of  the  milk  vessels. 

Treatment. 

In  all  cases  where  the  symptoms  are  present  there  is 
reason  to  suspect  mammary  abscess,  and  the  most  vigilant 
means  are  to  be  used  to  abort  such  distressing  and  painful 


DISEASES   OF   THE   VULVA.  625 

disease.  To  accomplish  this  end  the  patient  should  take 
an  active  purgative,  drink  warm  teas,  such  as  will  induce 
free  perspiration,  and  secure  the  application  of  hot  bricks, 
or  jugs  filled  with  hot  water.  A  warm  flaxseed  or  corn- 
meal  poultice  should  be  used  ;  if  the  breasts  be  very 
painful  they  may  be  soothed  by  the  addition  of  laudanum 
sprinkled  over  the  poultice.  After  the  action  of  the 
cathartic  the  patient  should  take  from  three  to  eight  drops 
of  the  fluid  extract  of  poke-root  every  three  or  four  hours. 
Nothing  will  be  found  better  to  abort  mammary  abscess 
than  the  free  administration  of  this  remedy. 

A  poultice  made  out  of  roasted  poke-root  applied 
to  the  gland  will  be  found  a  valuable  auxiliary  in 
aborting  this  species  of  inflammation.  If  the  swelling  and 
inflammation  grow  worse  and  there  be  evidence  that  the 
breast  is  likely  to  gather,  a  poultice  of  pulverized  slippery 
elm  bark  moistened  with  warm  water  should  be  applied. 
If  there  be  evidence  of  pus  a  free  incision  should  be 
made,  care  being  taken,  however,  not  to  wound  the  large 
milk  vessels.  After  the  opening  of  the  abscess,  there 
may  be  applied  any  soothing  poultice.  Keep  the  gland 
unloaded  of  its  contents. 

Diseases  of  the  Vulva. 

Inflammation  of  the  vulva  is  a  disorder  that  frequently 
affects  women.  There  may  be  severe  inflammation  of  the 
mucous  membrane  accompanied  by  minute  points  of 
ulceration.  The  ulcers  on  the  vulva  are  small,  slightly- 
pitted,  and  almost  always  covered  with  pus.  The  whole 


626  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

vulva  may  be  intensely  red  and  bathed  in  pus  and  mucus. 
The  inflammation  sometimes  extends  into  the  vagina  and 
causes  a  copious  flow  of  pus  and  mucus  from  that  cavity. 

Not  infrequently  the  labia  are  very  much  swollen,  and 
occasionally  the  surrounding  tissues  are  involved  in  the 
inflammation.  This  inflammation,  especially  in  its  earliest 
stages,  is  sometimes  attended  with  considerable  fever. 
By  the  inexperienced  observer  it  may  be  mistaken  for 
gonorrhea  from  the  swollen  labia,  burning  pain,  copious, 
purulent  discharges,  and  pain  and  difficulty  in  voiding 
urine. 

This  mistaken  diagnosis  may  be  strengthened  from  its 

0 

occasionally  sudden  development.  It  occurs  in  children 
from  three  to  twelve  years  of  age,  and  probably  results 
from  want  of  cleanliness  and  local  irritation.  If  allowed 
to  pursue  its  course  without  any  treatment  other  than 
cleanliness,  it  may  subside  spontaneously  in  two  or  three 
weeks;  if  not  it  is  disposed  to  run  into  a  chronic  inflam- 
mation. This  last  form  often  affects  young  women,  and 
constitutes  what  may  be  known  as  inflammation  of  the 
vagina,  giving  rise  to  leuchorrea,  and  finally  to  the  inflam- 
matory diseases  of  the  uterine  organs  of  women.  It  is 
sometimes  the  result  of  a  debilitated  and  scrofulous  con- 
stitution and  may  be  complicated  with  indigestion  and 
constipation. 

Treatment. 

The  treatment  may,  in  general,  be  local.  In  cases  of 
debility  and  scrofulous  constitution,  restorative  measures 
may  be  used  to  improve  the  general  health  and  vigor  of 


DISEASES    OF   THE   VULVA.  627 

the  patient.  In  the  beginning  where  inflammation  is  high, 
the  fever  should  be  combated  by  appropriate  remedies. 
We  may  administer  a  mercurial  cathartic  and  hasten  its 
action  by  a  dose  of  Epsom  salts,  producing  a  free  evacua- 
tion of  the  bowels.  This  should  be  followed  by  the 
administration  of  the  nitrate  of  potash  in  doses  internally, 
every  three  or  four  hours,  suited  to  the  age  of  the  patient. 
The  part  should  be  frequently  bathed,  or  treated  with  a 
decoction  of  poppyheads,  or  hops,  to  which  may  be  added 
watery  extract  of  opium.  In  the  course  of  four  or  five 
days,  when  the  acute  symptoms  have  subsided,  we  may 
administer  quinine,  dissolved  in  aromatic  sulphuric  acid, 
in  doses  suited  to  the  age  of  the  patient,  and  apply  a 
decoction  of  white-oak  bark  as  a  local  astringent. 

It  may  be  necessary,  in  the  progress  of  the  disease,  to 
use  some  more  potent  astringent,  such  as  sulphate  of  cop- 
per, or  even  nitrate  of  silver.  Should  the  inflammation 
extend  into  the  vagina,  the  astringent  may  be  injected 
into  that  cavity  by  means  of  a  rubber  syringe. 

If  the  patient  should  be  young,  great  care  should  be 
observed  in  introducing  the  pipe,  that  the  internal  organs 
do  not  suffer  injury.  When  this  disease  is  developed  in 
children,  it  is  important  to  know  that  it  is  entirely  sub- 
dued, lest  the  inflammation  become  chronic  and  continue 
until  puberty,  extending  into  the  body  of  the  developing 
uterus,  entailing  a  very  distressing  train  of  suffering  upon 
the  patient,  that  might  have  been  avoided  by  a  com- 
plete cure  of  the  inflammation  of  the  vagina. 


628        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 


Follicular  Inflammation  of  the  Vulva. 

Inflammation  of  the  vulva  not  only  affects  the  mucous 
membrane,  but  may  extend  into  the  follicles  and  glands 
of  the  vulva.  In  this  form  of  the  disease,  minute  pimples 
appear  on  the  mucous  surface  of  the  labia  majorae,  the 
labia  minorae,  the  clitoris,  and  other  parts  of  the  orifice 
of  the  vagina.  These  pimples  increase  in  size,  and 
become  red,  while  the  surrounding  mucous  membrane  is 
very  much  inflamed.  In  many  instances,  a  number  of 
these  elevations  become  pustules  with  hard  base,  red  and 
very  tender.  More  frequently,  however,  there  is  only  a 
flow  of  mucus,  with  slight  traces  of  pus.  The  acute  form 
will  generally  run  its  course  and  subside  in  a  few  weeks. 
It  often  happens,  however,  that  the  disease  becomes 
chronic  and  exceedingly  obstinate  and  difficult  to  cure. 

The  causes  are  want  of  cleanliness,  inflammation  o^ 
the  vagina,  pregnancy,  and  malignant  affection  of  the 
vagina  and  uterus. 

Treatment. 

Rest  in  bed,  alterative  and  saline  cathartics,  cleanli- 
ness, emolient  poultices  followed  by  astringent  applica- 
tions. If  the  patient  be  debilitated,  restorative  measures 
will  be  necessary.  Bitter  tonics  and  quinine  will  be 
especially  useful,  as  this  disease  most  generally  affects 
persons  of  a  debilitated  constitution.  When  the  secre- 
tions are  offensive,  carbolic  acid  with  glycerine  should  be 
freely  applied  two  or  three  times  a  day.  When  the  dis- 


PRURITIS   OF   THE    GENITALS.  629 

ease  becomes  chronic,  there  will  be  necessity  of  a  use  of 
stimulants  sufficiently  strong  to  mollify  the  inflammation. 
It  may  be  necessary  to  have  recourse  to  nitrate  of  silver 
in  the  solid  form  once  in  six  to  ten  days.  This  has 
a  powerful  effect  in  controlling  the  disease.  Carbolic  acid 
and  glycerine,  in  which  may  be  dissolved  some  tannic 
acid,  may  be  used  between  the  times  of  applying  the 
caustic,  or  nitrate  of  silver. 

In  connection  with  this  it  will  be  necessary  to  admin- 
ister alteratives,  as  iodide  of  potassium,  and  sarsaparilla. 
In  others,  who  are  fleshy  and  full  of  blood,  mercury  will 
be  found  a  very  reliable  remedy. 

Pruritis  of  the  Genitals. 

This  is  a  very -annoying  and  very  often  obstinate  affec- 
tion of  the  genital  organs.  It  is  characterized  by  extreme 
itching  of  the  vulva.  The  itching  returns  in  paroxysms  ; 
the  patient  will  sometimes  be  free  from  it  except  when 
standing  by  a  warm  fire,  or  becoming  heated  by  exercise, 
passion,  etc.  Or  she  may  be  affected  only  at  the 
menstrual  period. 

At  other  times,  the  itching  returns  without  any 
apparent  reason.  The  sensation  is  sometimes  of  a  burning 
heat  with  an  irresistible  desire  to  scratch  or  rub  the  parts, 
which  desire  is  often  embarrassing,  from  the  delicate 
location  of  the  disease. 

At  other  times  the  sensation  is  such  as  may  be 
produced  by  the  crawling  of  pediculi,  and  the  patient  feels 
as  if  thousands  of  these  insects  are  moving  upon  her 


630  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

person,  and  will  only  be  convinced  of  the  contrary  by  an 
examination. 

In  the  first  variety  it  is  almost  always  attended  with 
inflammation  of  the  mucous  membrane  of  the  vulva.  The 
inflammation  may  be  simple,  papular,  or  vesicular.  In 
this  variety  of  pruritis,  the  itching  is  generally,  if  not 
wholly,  confined  to  the  surface  of  the  labia.  Pruritis  may 
be  considered  but  a  symptom  of  several  diseased  condi- 
tions of  the  genital  organs,  and  may  be  caused  by  the 
state  of  the  intestinal  canal,  particularly  the  rectum  or  some 
other  remote  condition.  A  careful  examination  of  the  cases 
as  they  arise  will  most  frequently  result  in  the  discovery  of 
the  cause.  It  is  often  a  very  obstinate  affection,  lasting 

weeks,    months    and    even    years    in    bad    cases.     More 

v_ 
frequently  it  yields  to  a  judicious  course  of  treatment. 

Treatment. 

The  first  thing  is  to  remove  the  cause,  if  practicable. 
In  order  to  do  this  the  abdominal  organs  will  require 
attention.  The  sluggish  secretion  and  bowels  must  be 
corrected  by  alteratives  and  laxatives.  This  may  be  best 
accomplished  by  four  or  five  grains  of  blue  pill  in  the 
evening,  to  be  followed  in  the  morning  by  a  small  dose  of 
salts,  sufficient  to  produce  two  stools.  This  may  be 
repeated  every  three  or  four  days  until  the  secretions  be 
established  and  the  bowels  emptied.  If  the  stomach  be 
weak  and  digestion  imperfect,  the  bitter  tonics  as  gentian, 
quassia,  quinine  or  acids,  as  the  state  of  the  case  may 
require,  will  be  demanded.  And  if  the  patient  should 


PRURITIS    OF   THE    GENITALS.  631 

be  pale  and  bloodless,  iron  may  be  given.  Sometimes, 
however,  with  patients  who  are  fleshy  and  full  of  blood, 
alteratives  with  spare  diet  will  be  more  appropriate. 

With  the  above  treatment  we  will  generally  have  to 
resort  to  some  local  remedies.  Among  the  most 
important  of  these  is  cleanliness.  The  parts  externally 
and  internally  should  be  subjected  to  thorough  and 
frequent  ablutions.  To  the  accomplishment  of  this  end, 
recourse  must  be  had  to  some  toilet  soap  for  the  ablutions. 
Where  there  is  no  apparent  eruption,  much  advantage 
will  be  obtained  by  washing  in  a  solution  of  the  tincture 
of  cloride  of  iron,  two  drachms  in  a  quart  of  water,  three 
or  four  times  daily.  This  will  be  found  especially  bene- 
ficial in  cases  accompanied  with  leucorrhea.  When  there 
is  vesicular  eruption,  sprinkle  the  parts  with  powdered 
borax  and  expose  as  much  as  possible  to  the  open  air. 
Infusion  of  tobacco  applied  two  or  three  times  a  day  is 
recommended  by  Prof.  Simpson.  WThen  the  mucous 
membrane  is  much  inflamed,  a  solution  of  hydrocyanic 
acid,  ten  drops  to  the  ounce  of  water,  often  affords  great 
relief. 

Pure  glycerine  will  be  found  an  excellent  palliative.  In 
applying  this  to  the  vagina,  however,  a  plug  of  cotton 
saturated  with  it,  passed  in  through  a  speculum,  and 
allowed  to  remain  for  ten  or  twelve  hours,  is  the  better 
method.  A  small  cord  should  be  applied  to  the  plug  of 
cotton  before  introducing  it,  that  it  may  be  the  more 
easily  removed.  This  should  be  repeated  about  once  a 
day.  The  same  application  may  be  made  between  the 


632        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

labia.  This  treatment  produces  a  copious  serous  discharge 
which  tends  to  remove  the  congestion  of  the  mucous 
membrane. 

In  protracted  cases  that  have  resisted  the  ordinary 
routine  of  treatment,  it  has  been  found  that  the  application 
of  the  tincture  of  the  cloride  of  iron  in  full  strength, 
applied  by  a  brush  or  some  other  suitable  instrument 
once  a  day,  to  all  the  mucous  membranes  will  answer  a 
good  purpose. 

When  this  treatment  fails,  as  will  sometimes  be  the 
case,  a  similar  application  may  be  made  with  the  solution 
of  the  nitrate  of  silver,  from  thirty  to  fifty  grains  to  the 
ounce  of  water.  This  application  need  not  be  made  more 
than  once  every  two  or  three  days.  Relief  has  been 
obtained  by  applying  a  five  to  ten  per  cent,  solution  of 
carbolic  acid  with  equal  parts  of  glycerine  and  water. 

The  obstinacy  of  this  disease  will  require  great  patience 
on  the  part  of  the  patient,  and  not  infrequently  a  long 
routine  of  treatment. 

Eczema. 

Eczema  is  both  an  acute  and  chronic  form  of  disease. 
The  acute  forms  occur  usually  on  the  face,  genitals,  hands, 
feet ;  sometimes,  however,  on  the  entire  cutaneous  surface. 
It  is  not  especially  a  female  disease,  but,  on  account  of  its 
affecting  so  many  on  the  genital  organs,  it  is  deemed 
prudent  to  devote  a  short  space  to  a  description  of  the 
disease  and  some  appropriate  treatment.  ' 

The  acute  form  is  preceded  by  chilliness  along  the  back 


ECZEMA.  633 

or  other  febrile  symptoms,  while  the  cuticle  of  the  affected 
part  is  reddened,  swollen,  and  covered  with  vesicles  ;  these 
burst  and  discharge  a  viscid  fluid,  which  dries  into  crusts, 
on  the  removal  of  which  the  skin  appears  at  first  moist  ; 
it  afterwards  becomes  dry,  reddened,  and  covered  with 
scales.  , 

When  the  genitals  are  affected  with  acate  eczema,  they 
redden  and  swell  ;  the  discharge  is  situated  in  the  deeper 
rather  than  in  the  superficial  layers  of  the  skin.  In  this 
variety  there  may  not  appear  many  vesicles  or  papules. 
The  general  forms  of  acute  eczema  present  varieties 
according  to  the  seat  of  the  disease.  The  vesicular  and 
papular  formations  predominate.  Chronic  forms  of  eczema 
occur  more  frequently  than  the  acute,  and  nearly  every 
part  of  the  surface  may  be  thus  affected.  As  before  men- 
tioned, eczema  occurs  in  the  form  of  papules,  but  most 
frequently  in  that  of  vesicles. 

The  eczema  of  the  female  genitals  involves  chiefly  the 
labia  majorae  from  which  it  extends  either  forward  and 
upward,  or  downward  along  the  inner  surface  of  the  thigh, 
backward  toward  the  perineum  and  anus,  or  inward 
toward  the  labia  minorae,  and  even  to  the  vagina  and 
mucous  membrane  ;  on  these  situations  it  is  accompanied 
with  severe  itching. 

The  eczema  affecting  the  nipples  causes  them  to  swell, 
redden,  and  lose  their  epidermis.  The  affection,  which 
chiefly  occurs  during  the  puerperal  state  and  with  women 
with  their  first  child,  is  extremely  obstinate  and  painful ; 
for,  whenever  the  child  takes  the  breast,  the  inflamed 


634        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

nipple  is  subject  to  fresh  irritation,  and  the  swelling  thus 
increases.  Cases  not  infrequently  occur  in  which  the 
organ  suppurates,  necessitating  the  weaning  of  the  child  ; 
otherwise  protracted  disease  of  the  mammary  gland  might 
follow. 

Treatment. 

The  different  views  which  have  been  held  regarding 
the  cause  of  eczema  have  variously  influenced  the  methods 
of  treatment.  The  local  treatment  of  children  was  long  in 
disrepute,  many  authors  contending  that  the  drying  up  of 
the  local  affection  resulted  in  serious  obstruction  of  the 
deposits  from  the  system,  hence,  inducing  internal 
diseases,  such  as  hydrocephalus,  meningitis,  bronchitis, 
etc.  Tn  opposition  to  this  theory  the  facts  deduced  from 
experience  were  cited.  We  have  had  ample  opportunity 
of  observing  the  disease  in  children,  and  though  we  have 
employed  only  local  treatment,  we  have  never  experienced 
any  evil  results.  We  have,  however,  observed  that 
children  whose  health  had  been  impaired  by  the  dis- 
charges and  by  sleepless  nights,  regained  strength  and 
weight  rapidly  on  the  cure  of  the  eczema.  .We  do  not, 
therefore,  fear  any  evil  results  from  the  external  remedies, 
and  never  employ  internal  remedies  except  in  cases  where 
the  disease  is  evidently  dependent  upon  the  internal 
organs. 

In  the  treatment  of  eczema  we  do  not  prescribe  anti- 
mony, venesection,  or  purgatives.  In  pale,  delicate 
subjects,  however,  we  administer  the  preparations  of  iron, 


ECZEMA.  635 

and  in  those  who  are  ill-nourished,  meat  diet.  In  cases  of 
a  certain  type  in  which  the  outbreak  is  provided  by  fever, 
quinine.  In  some  very  protracted  and  obstinate  cases, 
however,  we  give  arsenic  or  carbolic  acid,  but  in  others 
we  have  found  that  the  bi-cloride  of  mercury,  and  the 
compound  tincture  of  cinchona  —  say  six  ounces  of  the 
compound  tincture  to  five  grains  of  bi-cloride  of  mercury  — 
administered  in  drachm  doses  three  times  a  day  fof  a 
length  of  time,  were  followed  with  very  beneficial  results. 

If  there  be  excoriations  or  ulcers  of  the  mouth  of  the 
womb,  or  if  leucorrhea  exist,  these  conditions  must  be 
treated  by  appropriate  remedies.  When  relapses  occur  in 
consequence  of  the  confined  mode  of  life  of  the  patient, 
they  should  be  met  by  free  exercise  in  the  open  air.  When 
eczema  is  dependent  upon  disorders  of  the  digestive  organs, 
resulting  in  anemia  and  derangement  of  the  sexual  organs, 
the  general  health  must  be  restored. 

The  local  treatment  is  much  more  important,  however, 
and,  on  account  of  the  obstinacy  of  the  disease,  many 
theories  have  been  advanced  and  remedies  suggested. 
The  most  rational  theory  to  us  has  been  suggested  by 
Hebra.  It  comprises  the  following  remedial  agents  : 
Water,  at  different  temperatures,  used  as  a  solvent  for 
various  medicinal  agents.  In  eczema  warm  water  is  seldom 
employed  except  for  baths,  as  in  soda  or  corrosive  subli- 
mate baths;  cold  water  is  employed  in  the  form  of  bandages, 
douches,  etc.  In  acute  eczema  water  is  employed  in 
bandages  ;  care  should  be  taken  always  to  use  soft  water, 
as  hard  water  contains  various  salts,  and  frequently  does 
more  harm  than  good  to  the  delicate  skin. 


636  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

If  only  hard  water  can  be  obtained,  it  may  be  used  for 
bathing,  after  purification  by  boiling  and  letting  it  stand  to 
eool.  Shower  baths  may  be  employed  over  the  affected 
part ;  but  the  water  should  not  be  allowed  to  fall  more 
than  two  feet,  lest  it  cause  irritation  and  inflammation  of 
the  skin,  as  well  as  boils.  As  a  solvent,  water  is  used  for 
various  astringents,  as  alum,  acetate  of  zinc,  sulphate 
of  copper,  caustic  potash,  corrosive  sublimate,  the  strength 
being  modified  as  desired  ;  the  usual  strength  employed  is 
one-third  of  a  grain  to  the  ounce  of  water.  In  acute 
eczema  these  solutions  are  used  in  conjunction  with  cold 
bandages,  a  piece  of  linen  being  first  soaked  in  the  solu- 
tion, applied  to  the  part  and  covered  with  a  cold 
bandage. 

The  cold  water  cure  is  only  suitable  in  acute,  general 
eczema.  When  the  circumstances  do  not  admit  of  the 
patient's  residence  in  a  hydropathic  establishment,  the 
following  method  may  be  adopted  in  private  :  On  the 
mattress  of  the  bed  a  large  piece  of  gum  cloth  is  laid,  on 
which  two  folded  sheets  are  placed,  transversely  ;  above 
this  one  or  two  blankets  ;  lastly,  two  wet  sheets.  The 
douche  apparatus  is  placed  close  to  the  bed,  and  after  the 
water  has  been  applied  to  the  patient  she  is  rolled  up  in 
wet  sheets,  and  covered  with  blankets  tightly  bound  around 
her.  A  covering  is  then  thrown  over  all. 

The  patient  soon  experiences  the  pleasant  feeling  of 
warmth,  slowly  perspires,  the  itching  and  burning  at  the 
same  time  greatly  subsiding.  This  process  should  be 
repeated  at  least  four  times  during  twenty-four  hours. 


ECZEMA   OF   THE    LABIA.  637 

The  room  should  be  moderately  warm,  and  after  using  the 
douche  the  patient  should  move  about  a  little  before  lying 
down. 

In  the  treatment  of  eczema,  oleaginous  substances  are 
employed  with  the  view  of  removing  the  crusts  and  of 
excluding  the  air  from  the  affected  part,  so  as  to  prevent 
the  drying  of  the  discharge.  By  this  means  a  cure  is 
affected  in  cases  where  the  skin  is  not  greatly  infiltrated. 
For  this  purpose  most  any  oily  substance  may  be 
employed,  such  as  cold  cream,  lard,  etc.  In  applying 
these  substances,  it  is  necessary  to  keep  as  large  quan- 
tities as  possible  in  contact  with  the  skin. 

In  combination  with  these  oily  substances,  various 
astringents  are  employed,  as  oxide  of  zinc,  acetate  of 
lead,  carbonate  of  lead.  The  mild  astringents,  however, 
are  only  suited  for  light  cases.  The  oxide  of  zinc  may  be 
combined  with  lard,  eighty  grains  of  the  former  to  an 
ounce  of  the  latter.  One  of  the  best  remedies  for  such 
cases  consists  of  equal  parts  of  linseed  oil  and  diachylon- 
plaster  ;  or  linseed  oil  one  pint  ;  litharge,  three  ounces  ; 
oil  of  lavender  two  drachms.  This  ointment  is  spread 
over  a  piece  of  linen  the  thickness  of  a  back  of  a  knife 
and  changed  every  twenty-four  hours.  It  is  adapted  to 
every  stage  of  eczema,  and  is  almost  indispensable  to  the 
treatment  of  cutaneous  diseases  in  general. 

Eczema   of    the    Labia. 

Hip-baths  night  and  morning,  and  the  free  use  of 
a  borax-glycerine  lotion  (glycerine  with  borax,  two  fluid 
ounces)  which  may  be  made  by  rubbing  one  pound  of 


638  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

powdered  borax  in  four  fluid  ounces  of  glycerine  in  a 
mortar  until  the  borax  is  dissolved  ;  add  to  the  glycerine 
of  borax  (two  fluid  ounces)  four  ounces  of  water.  This 
will  prove  successful  in  most  cases.  Powdering  with  the 
oxide  of  zinc  and  starch  is  also  found  very  useful. 

When  the  eczema  is  limited  to  the  labia,  painting  with 
the  solution  of  the  nitrate  of  silver  is  one  of  the  best 
means  of  cure.  Eczema  of  the  breasts  is  often  very 
obstinate.  If  the  ordinary  plans  of  treatment  fail,  a 
strong  solution  of  caustic  potash  is  to  be  applied  four  or 
five  times  daily,  and  the  parts  well  rubbed  with  the  wet 
hand  after  the  application  until  a  lather  is  formed.  This 
is  severe  treatment,  but  quite  efficacious.  The  strength 
of  the  solution  is  equal  parts  of  caustic  potash  and  soft 
water.  The  great  pain  produced  by  this  application  is 
lessened  by  the  application  of  cold  bandages,  and  will 
subside  in  the  course  of  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  In  cases  in 
which  general  eczema  has  proved  most  obstinate,  lasting 
for  years,  and  when  the  skin  is  much  infiltrated,  the  appli- 
cation of  this  remedy,  two  or  three  times  per  week,  is 
most  successful.  The  vesicles,  although  not  numerous, 
are  still  accompanied  with  severe  itching,  and  are 
destroyed  the  moment  the  solution  comes  in  contact 
with  them,  and  the  itching  entirely  ceases. 

Inflammation    of  the    Womb. 

Inflammation  of  the  womb  is  both  acute  and  chronic, 
and  may  effect  any  part  of  the  organs  alone  or  the  womb 
generally.  The  acute  form  is  characterized  by  violent 


INFLAMMATION    OF   THE    WOMB.  639 

burning  pain  in  the  region  of  the  organ,  with  a  sense  of 
weight,  and  often  darting  pains,  extending  out  toward  the 
sides  of  the  abdomen. 

Sometimes  even  the  whole  abdomen  becomes  swollen 
and  very  sensitive  to  pressure.  The  vagina  is  hot  and 
dry,  the  organs  low  in  the  pelvis,  and  the  mouth,  some- 
what enlarged,  is  quite  tender  to  the  touch.  The  bowels 
are  apt  to  become  constipated,  the  urine  be  suppressed  or 
retained,  the  tongue  dry  and  furred,  and  the  pulse  frequent 
and  excited.  These  symptoms  may  be  accompanied  with 
nausea  and  vomiting. 

Treatment. 

*  One  of  the  first  things  to  be  done  with  inflammation  of 
the  womb  is  to  evacuate  the  bowels  by  means  of  a  hydra- 
gogue  cathartic.  A  brisk  and  active  purgative  should  be 
given  composed  of  salts  and  senna,  or  jalap  and  cream  of 
tartar.  In  some  cases,  if  the  inflammation  be  high,  it  is 
well  to  introduce  the  treatment  by  first  administering  five 
to  ten  grains  of  calomel,  followed  by  the  salts  and  senna 
mixture  until  the  bowels  are  well  unloaded.  If  the 
bowels  be  very  much  constipated,  the  action  of  the  cathar- 
tic may  be  aided  by  injections  of  warm  water,  to  which 
may  be  added  a  little  soap,  molasses  or  salt.  Mustard 
drafts  or  hot  fomentations  of  bitter  herbs,  as  hops,  should 
be  applied  to  the  lower  portion  of  the  bowels  over  the 
neck  of  the  womb. 

It  is  a  good  plan  to  first  apply  the  mustard  plaster  and 
follow  with  hot  fomentations.  What  is  still  better,  how- 


640  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

ever,  and  more  efficient,  is  a  turpentine  stupe.  Bathe  the 
bowels  with  turpentine,  over  which  apply  a  fold  of  muslin. 
Large  compresses,  flannel,  or  other  suitable  material 
should  be  pressed  or  wrung  out  of  water  as  hot  as  can  be 
borne,  and  laid  over  the  turpentine  application. 

This  application  of  hot  cloths  should  be  repeated  until 
the  skin  is  thoroughly  reddened  and  the  burning  too 
intense  to  be  endured  by  the  patient.  A  liniment  com- 
posed of  equal  parts  of  turpentine  and  oily  matter,  such 
as  lard,  should  be  applied  freely  over  the  bowels  after  the 
turpentine  stupe  has  been  removed. 

No  remedy  for  acute  inflammation  of  the  womb  is  more 
efficient  than  turpentine,  both  externally  and  internally. 
The  bowels  may  be  kept  open  with  castor  oil  and  spirits 
of  turpentine.  If  there  is  general  excitement  and  fever 
with  pain,  five  to  ten  grains  of  Dover's  or  diaphoretic 
powder  should  be  administered,  sufficiently  frequent  to 
counteract  pain  and  produce  free  perspiration. 

If  there  be  retention  of  the  urine,  marshmallow  tea, 
one  gill,  and  a  teaspoonful  of  the  spirits  of  nitre  may  be 
given  every  three  or  four  hours  until  the  difficulty  is  over- 
come. The  food  should  be  light  and  nutritious,  composed 
mainly  of  farinaceous  substances.  The  patient  should  be 
kept  at  rest.  If  there  be  great  restlessness  and  indisposi- 
tion to  sleep,  the  administration  of  twenty  to  thirty  grains 
of  the  bromide  of  potassium  will  generally  be  succeeded 
by  a  period  of  comfortable  repose. 


CHRONIC   INFLAMMATION.  t>41 


Chronic    Inflammation. 

The  chronic  form  is  more  common,  and  varies  from  the 
acute  in  the  intensity  of  the  symptoms.  It  is  characterized 
by  heavy  pain  in  the  pelvis,  increased  by  walking  or 
moving.  Discharges  from  the  bowels  and  coition  are 
accompanied  with  pain.  There  is  more  or  less  pain  during 
the  period  of  menstruation,  which  begins  several  days 
prematurely,  accompanied  with  pain  in  the  breast.  The 
areolae  of  the  nipples  are  generally  darkened.  Nausea  and 
vomiting  are  sometimes  present.  There  is  great  nervous 
disturbance,  pressure  on  the  rectum,  with  hemmorrhoids, 
more  or  less  pain  in  voiding  water,  and  the  uterus  is  more 
or  less  enlarged  and  tender  to  the  touch. 

Treatment. 

Treatment  of  chronic  inflammation  of  the  uterus  may 
be  divided  into  general  and  local. 

General  Treatment. — The  patient  must  be  placed  under 
the  best  practicable  hygienic  and  dietetic  rules,  and  sexual 
intercourse  forbidden  during  treatment. 

For  the  nervous  prostration,  fresh  and  cold  air  is  one 
of  the  best  and  most  suitable  tonics.  The  patient  should 
be  in  the  open  air  as  much  as  possible.  If  confined  to 
the  house,  it  should  be  well  aired  several  times  daily 
through  the  open  windows  and  door.  She  should  be 
kept  in  open  cold  rooms  and  the  use  of  stimulants  should 
be  forbidden.  For  the  nervous  excitability,  regular  rest 
and  out-door  exposure  are  most  efficacious  remedies. 


642  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

Medicines,  as  a  rule,  are  not  well  borne  in  these  cases. 
Quinine,  nux  vomica,  wild  cherry  and  chamomile  are  the 
best.  Stimulants  must  be  prohibited,  and  opium  is  gen- 
erally not  good. 

Inability  to  sleep  and  neuralgic  pains  are  often  greatly 
relieved  by  bromide  of  potassium  in  full  doses,  thirty  or 
for^ty  grains,  and  in  abundance  of  water,  until  relieved. 
Anemia  and  plethora,  if  present,  must  be  met  by  appro- 
priate remedies.  Constipation  is  often  present,  and  must 
be  overcome  by  prompt  attention  to  the  calls  of  the 
bowels,  by  a  full  vegetable  diet,  especially  of  fruits,  and 
by  drugs.  Of  the  latter,  the  sulphate  of  magnesia,  in  two 
to  four  drachm  doses,  may  be  given  with  some  acid  in  the 
morning  ;  or  four  to  six  grains  of  blue  mass  may  be  given 
every  fourth  or  fifth  night,  followed  by  Epsom  salts  in  the 
morning. 

When,  through  long  habit,  the  secretion  of  the  intes- 
tines is  scanty  and  their  coats  inactive,  a  special  tonic  is 
called  for.  A  simple  and  effective  formula  is  tincture  of 
nux  vomica,  two  drachms  ;  sulphate  of  iron,  eight  grains  ; 
water,  two  ounces  ;  mix  ;  a  teaspoonful  three  times  a  day, 
after  eating.  Or,  if  pills  be  preferred,  take  four  grains  of 
extract  of  nux  vomica,  thirty  grains  of  the  extract  of 
rhubarb,  and  ten  grains  of  the  sulphate  of  iron,  mix  and 
make  sixteen  pills  ;  one  to  be  taken  two  or  three  times  a 
day,  as  may  be  necessary.  Or,  sulphate  of  quinine, 
thirty  grains  ;  tincture  of  nux  vomica,  four  drachms  ;  aro- 
matic sulphuric  acid,  one  drachm  ;  water,  four  ounces  ; 
mix  ;  take  a  teaspoonful  three  times  daily,  after  meals. 


CHRONIC    INFLAMMATION.  643 

These  are  the  most  suitable  remedies.  Massage  is  not 
infrequently  a  valuable  aid.  The  method  by  which  this 
is  performed  is  as  follows  :  The  operator,  with  one  of 
two  fingers  in  the  vagina,  grasps  the  body  of  the  uterus, 
so  that  he  can  exert  upon  it  a  steady  pressure,  while  the 
counter-pressure  is  exerted  by  the  other  hand  through 
the  walls  of  the  lower  abdomen.  If  these  walls  be  suffi- 
ciently loose,  and  enlarged  by  this  procedure,  the  uterus 
can  be  held  between  the  two  hands  and  gently  pressed 
and  kneaded.  When  the  organ  is  displaced,  it  is  usually 
necessary  to  correct  this  displacement  before  this  method 
can  be  effectually  used. 

Cold  water  may  be  thrown  into  the  rectum  twice  a  day 
in  small  quantities,  say  eight  ounces  ;  or  a  suppository 
may  be  used  ;  extract  of  gentian,  twenty  grains  ;  cocoa 
butter,  twenty  grains  ;  for  one  suppository. 

Local   Treatment. 

Of  the  local  measures  employed,  baths  may  be  first 
mentioned.  The  most  common  bath  is  the  sitz  or  hip 
bath.  Where  there  is  much  pain  with  little  inflammatory 
action  this  often  affords  much  relief. 

If  a  speculum  be  introduced  during  the  time  of  taking 
the  bath,  so  as  to  allow  the  water  to  enter  the  vagina, 
much  additional  benefit  will  be  received.  The  temperature 
of  the  water  should  be  made  so  as  to  be  most  comfortable 
to  the  patient.  Vaginal  injections  are  applicable  to  almost 
all  cases  of  inflammation  of  the  womb.  The  quantity  of 
water  should  be  large,  and  frequently  may  be  of  a  high 


644  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

temperature.  Occasional  astringent  injections  will  be 
found  advantageous,  used  once  or  twice  daily,  not  to  be 
repeated  as  long  as  the  vagina  is  not  dry  from  the  preced- 
ing injection.  The  temperature  should  be  governed  by 
the  feelings  of  the  patient. 

The  application  of  the  nitrate  of  silver  in  the  solid  form 
to  the  inflamed  or  ulcerated  portion  of  the  uterus  will  be 
found  to  be  a  very  potent  remedy.  But  it  must  be 
carefully  applied,  using  no  more  force  than  is  necessary 
to  keep  it  in  contact  with  the  part.  It  should  never  be 
applied  by  inexperienced  persons.  A  strong  solution  of 
this  remedy  applied  by  means  of  a  camel's-hair  brush  will 
frequently  answer  the  same  purpose.  Dr.  N.  V.  Taliaferro, 
of  Atlanta,  Ga.,  recommends  pressure  for  uterine  inflam- 
mation and  diseases,  especially  for  chronic  inflammation. 
This  pressure  is  exerted  by  filling  the  vagina  firmly  with 
well-prepared  cotton  or  sheep's  wool  in  the  form  of  a 
tampon.  Commencing  the  use  of  this  tampon,  the  vagina 
should  not  be  entirely  filled.  It  is  better  first  to  fill  the  up- 
per portion  of  the  vagina,  which  may  be  done  quite  tightly, 
and  gradually  to  fill  it  entirely,  as  the  vagina  becomes 
accustomed  to  the  foreign  substance.  Sometimes,  how- 
ever, the  tampon  will  irritate  the  vagina  in  the  commence- 
ment of  the  treatment.  It  should  be  left  off  for  a  few  days 
and  hot-water  injections  substituted.  If  there  be  but  little 
irritation,  however,  the  use  of  a  little  vaseline  on  the 
surface  of  the  vagina  may  enable  us  to  continue  the 
tampon.  Dr.  Taliaferro  is  convinced  that  by  this  method 
a  rapid  reduction  of  congestion  in  the  parts  will  be  effected. 


CHRONIC    INFLAMMATION.  645 

Where  there  are  adhesions  of  the  uterus,  resulting  from 
inflammation,  no  matter  how  extensive,  the  patient  and 
persistent  use  of  this  course  of  treatment  will  entirely 
overcome  it. 

Robert  Ellis,  of  London,  recommends  the  following 
course  of  treatment  for  the  various  kinds  of  ulceration  of 
the  mouth  of  the  womb  : 

Indolent  Ulcer. — Where  the  neck  of  the  uterus  is 
enlarged,  of  a  pale,  pink  color,  and  hard  ;  with  the  mouth 
of  the  womb  slightly  open  ;  ulcer  of  a  rose  red  ;  granula- 
tions large,  flat,  insensitive  ;  the  edge  of  the  ulcer  well 
defined  ;  discharge  mucus,  with  pus,  and  occasionally  a 
little  drop  of  blood. 

Treatment. — For  a  few  times  apply  the  solid  nitrate  of 
silver,  afterward  the  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver,  or  strong 
nitric  acid. 

Inflamed  Ulcer. — The  neck  is  hard,  tender,  a  little 
enlarged,  hot  and  red  ;  the  vagina  hot  and  tender  ;  ulcer 
of  a  vivid  red  ;  granulations  small  and  bleeding  ;  a  livid 
red  border  around  the  ulcer  ;  discharge  mucus  and  pus, 
yellow  and  viscid,  with  frequently  a  drop  of  bright  blood 
with  it. 

Treatment. — Occasionally,  leeching  ;  a  warm  hip-bath  ; 
emolient  injections  ;  then  acid  nitrate  of  mercury  several 
times,  succeeded  by  the  solid  nitrate  of  silver. 

Fungous  Ulcer. — The  neck  soft,  large,  spongy  to  the 
touch  ;  the  mouth  wide  open,  so  as  to  admit  the  finger  ; 
ulcer  large,  pale,  studded  with  large  and  friable  granula- 
tions ;  discharge,  glairy,  brownish  mucus,  frequently 
deeply  tinged  with  blood. 


646  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Treatment. — At  first  the  solid  nitrate  of  silver  pencil  ; 
afterwards,  nitric  acid,  solution  of  nitrate  of  silver,  or  acid 
nitrate  of  mercury,  and  actual  cautery. 

Senile  Ulcer. — Neck  small,  red,  and  a  little  hard  ; 
ulcer  small,  extremely  sensitive,  and  of  a  bright-red  color  ; 
granulations  very  small,  red  and  irritable  ;  discharge,  thin 
mucus  pus. 

Treatment. — Strong  nitric  acid  with  nitrate  of  silver 
once  or  twice  at  long  intervals.  The  solid  sulphate  of 
copper  in  pencil. 

General    Disorders  of  the    Uterus. 

There  is  a  long  list  of  nervous  symptoms  generally 
confined  to  women,  although  not  entirely  regarded  as 
arising  from  disorders  of  the  female  organs. 

They  have  sometimes  been  regarded  as  independent 
affections,  having  various  sources,  and  generally  have 
received  the  cognomen  of  "  hysteria,"  for  want  of  some 
better  name  to  give  them.  Modern  investigation,  how- 
ever, has  given  us  a  more  definite  and  correct  notion  of 
their  real  cause,  and  we  have  been  led  to  regard  them  as 
arising  from  some  troubled  condition  of  the  sexual  system. 
Medical  men,  however,  differ  as  to  whether  the  symptoms 
referred  to  be  the  result  of  the  disease  of  the  uterus,  or 
the  disease  of  the  uterus  the  symptoms,  which  owe  their 
origin  in  a  disease  remotely  situated  from  this  organ. 

There  are  those  who  believe  that  the  uterus  has  very 
little  sympathetic  influence  ;  that  the  diseased  condition 
of  the  uterus  is  frequently  the  result  of  diseases  in  other 


GENERAL   DISORDERS   OF    fHE    UTERUS. 


organs  ;  that  the  symptoms  accompanying  a  diseased 
condition  of  the  uterus  are  not  dependent  upon  any  affec- 
tion of  this  organ,  and  that  these  symptoms  may  be  cured 
without  paying  any  regard  to  the  disorders  of  the  uterus. 
Others  hold  that  the  diseased  state  of  the  sexual  system 
exercises  a  morbid  influence  over  the  whole  economy  of 
the  system,  and  that  the  only  method  of  relief  is  the 
removal  of  the  diseased  condition  of  the  uterus.  Those 
who  adhere  to  this  latter  view  are  again  divided.  One 
part  of  them  hold  that  the  sympathetic  influence  of  the 
uterus  is  only  manifest  in  the  organs  inflamed  or  ulcerated  ; 
that  the  removal  of  these  disorders  relieves  the  symptoms. 
The  other  party  maintain  that  the  inflammation  and 
ulceration  are  of  but  little  importance,  while  the  origin  of 
the  symptoms  are  wholly  traceable  to  the  displacements  of 
the  uterus. 

These  various  theories  have  their  advocates  in  men  of 
high  rank  and  standing  in  the  medical  profession.  This 
seemingly  contradictory  view  held  by  men  of  distinction 
in  reference  to  the  origin  of  these  symptoms  need  not 
cause  any  surprise,  since  the  same  variety  of  opinion  is 
found  to  be  held  by  men  similarly  high  in  place  in 
reference  to  the  origin  of  many  other  diseases.  Much  as 
men  may  be  disposed  to  differ  in  regard  to  the  theory  of 
the  origin  of  any  of  the  symptoms  with  which  females  are 
annoyed,  but  little  difference  exists  in  the  methods  under- 
taken for  the  eradication  of  the  disease. 

It  cannot  be  denied  that  the  uterus  exerts  a  sympa- 
thetic influence  over  many  of  the  organs  of  the  body. 


648  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

When  it  is  under  a  state  of  excitement,  as  during  menstru- 
ation or  gestation,  we  have,  as  a  result,  indigestion  and 
constipation,  with  all  the  nervous  symptoms  resulting  from 
such  abnormal  condition.  Would  it  not  be  reasonable, 
then,  to  conclude  that  when  the  uterus  is  affected  by 
disease  or  displacement,  we  may  have  a  great  variety  of 
nervous  disturbances  ?  The  various  organs  of  the  system, 
in  the  discharge  of  their  offices,  depend  each  upon  the 
proper  operation  of  another.  If  a  defect  appear  in  any  ot 
the  parts  of  the  machinery,  the  whole  machine,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  must  be  deranged. 

The  stomach,  for  example,  when  laboring  under  the 
stimulus  of  digestion,  influences,  in  some  degree,  many 
important  organs  of  the  body.  The  brain  is  always 
more  or  less  influenced  by  digestion,  so  that,  if  a  heavy 
meal  is  to  be  disposed  of  by  the  stomach,  the  brain  will  be 
so  influenced  as  to  very  much  interfere  with  sleep.  Upon 
the  other  hand,  if,  after  eating  a  hearty  meal,  there  be 
great  mental  or  nervous  exertion,  the  food  will  remain 
undigested  in  the  stomach. 

So  we  see  that  the  various  organs  of  the  system  are 
so  intricately  woven  together  as  to  render  it  impossible 
for  disease  to  exist  in  any  one  part  of  the  system  without 
more  or  less  derangement  of  the  whole  physical  economy. 

Displacement  of  the  Womb,  and  Its  Causes. 

This  disorder  prevails  to  an  alarming  extent,  if  we  are 
to  judge  from  the  number  of  women  who  say,  after  recit- 
ing their  many  afflictions,  "  and  I  have  displacement  oi 


DISPLACEMENT   OF   THE   WOMB   AND   ITS   CAUSES.      649 

the  womb."  But  it  is  doubtless  true  that  very  many 
married,  and  even  unmarried  women  are  thus  afflicted. 
The  womb  is  generally  described  as  resembling  an 
inverted  pear,  and  lying  between  the  bladder  and  the 
rectum.  In  the  virgin,  when  healthy,  it  is  about  tuo  and 
a  half  inches  in  length.  It  is  held  in  position  by  folds  of 
membraneous  ligaments.  In  cases  of  debility,  these  sup- 
ports of  the  womb,  partaking  of  the  general  weakness, 
are  relaxed,  become  longer  than  natural,  and  permit  the 
womb  to  drop  down  below  its  proper  place  in  the  pelvis. 
This  constitutes  prolapsus  uteri,  or  "  falling  of  the  womb." 
There  are  other  causes  that  predispose  to  this  displace- 
ment, such  as  increased  weight  and  size  of  the  uterus, 
-which  not  infrequently  is  the  result  of  repeated  inflamma- 
tions ;  the  presence  of  tumors  within  its  cavity  ;  disten- 
tion  of  the  abdomen,  induced  by  constipation  ;  intestinal 
inflammation  ;  dropsy;  distended  bladder;  enlargement  of 
the  ovaries,  etc.  Pressure  on  the  abdomen,  tight  dresses, 
corsets,  or  heavy  clothing  carried  on  the  hips,  tend  to  the 
same  end. 

Displacements  may  occur  instantly  from  exertion,  as 
lifting  a  heavy  load,  especially  if  the  load  be  carried 
against  the  abdomen.  Repeated  instances  of  instantane- 
ous displacement  from  carrying  a  washtub  of  water  are 
known.  The  organ  can  be  displaced  by  severe  straining 
to  empty  either  the  bowels  or  bladder,  or  by  a  fall  upon 
the  feet  or  knees,  a  blow,  or  exercise  in  running  up  and 
down  stairs. 


650        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

The  various  kinds  of  displacements  have  received 
names  corresponding  with  the  position  that  the  womb 
takes  in  the  pelvis.  When  it  falls  directly  downward, 
"  prolapsus  "  ;  when  it  bends  forward,  "  anteversion  "  ; 
when  backward,  "  retroversion"  ;  when  it  bends  upon 
itself  backward,  "  retroflection,"  etc. 

Keeping  in  mind  the  position  of  the  womb,  it  will  be 
easily  seen  that,  if  the  bladder  be  distended,  the  womb 
will  be  thrust  back  against  the  rectum,  and  vice  versa. 
If  the  rectum  be  allowed  to  fill  and  remain  distended 
with  fecal  matter,  the  uterus  will  be  thrust  forward  against 
the  bladder.  When  either  of  these  conditions  is  allowed 
to  remain  for  a  length  of  time,  the  womb  becomes  perma- 
nently displaced. 

Simple  displacements  may  be  carried  for  a  long  time 
without  causing  any  discomfort,  particularly  by  strong 
women  of  phlegmatic  temperament,  or  of  a  not  very  sus- 
ceptible nervous  system  ;  but  others  soon  become  aware 
of  some  derangement  by  numerous  symptoms. 

The  predisposing  or  exciting  causes  of  uterine  displace- 
ments are  numerous.  Sedentary  habits,  by  weakening  the 
whole  muscular  system,  frequently  give  rise  to  this  condi- 
tion. Habitual  constipation,  resulting  from  disregard  of 
the  laws  of  life,  and  disturbance  of  the  general  circulation 
in  its  turn  causes  inflammation  of  the  mucous  membrane  of 
the  vagina.  This,  followed  by  leucorrhea  and  relaxation 
of  the  uterus  and  its  environment,  produces  more  or  less 
displacement  of  the  uterus. 

Fashionable  modes  of  dress,  tight  lacing,  wearing  of 
heavy  skirts,  overgarments,  and  their  pressure  about  the 


DISPLACEMENT   OF   THE   WOMB   AND    ITS    CAUSES.     6$  I 

waist,  all  tend  to  crowd  the  bowels  downward,  and  force 
the  uterus  out  of  its  normal  condition.  It  is  difficult  for  a 
woman  who  continues  to  dress  fashionably  for  a  number 
of  years,  and,  especially,  if  she  began  before  maturity 
was  fully  established,  to  avoid  this  result.  (This  may  not 
be  in  harmony  with  the  ideas  of  the  more  fashionable 
members  of  society,  yet  it  is  none  the  less  true.) 

Another  very  fruitful  predisposing  circumstance  of 
displacement  is  found  in  the  injudicious  use  of  the  emmena- 
gogue  medicines.  These  occasion  congestion  of  the  organ, 
which  congestion  frequently  results  in  inflammation,  or 
may  induce  hemorrhage,  which  may  be  mistaken  for 
menstruation.  This  congestive  condition,  which  results 
in  inflammation  of  defined  portions  of  the  walls  of  the 
uterus,  causes  thickening  upon  one  side  or  the  other  of  it, 
making  it  heavier  or  more  gravid,  so  that  the  uterus  is 
unequally  balanced,  and  is  disposed  to  fall  to  that  side 
which  is  most  heavy.  This  perhaps  is  one  of  the  most 
fruitful  causes  of  displacement.  If  the  extra  weight  be 
upon  the  posterior  wall,  or  back  part  of  the  uterus,  the 
uterus  itself  will  be  disposed  to  fall  backwards  against  the 
rectum,  producing  constipation,  and,  consequently,  general 
disturbance  of  the  alimentary  canal.  This  displacement, 
as  has  been  said,  is  called  retroversion.  If  the  thickening 
be  upon  the  front,  or  the  anterior  portion  of  the  uterus,  it 
will  tilt  forward  against  the  bladder,  and  we  have  what  is 
called  anteversion. 

There  are  certain  kinds  of  female  employment  that  have 
a  natural  tendency  to  produce  displacement  of  the  uterus. 


l£Gl£   C 


6$2  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

For  example,  the  position  occupied  by  women  at  the 
sewing  machine,  in  sewing  by  hand,  at  ironing,  washing, 
etc.,  is  more  mischievous  than  the  work  itself,  if  it  could 
be  done  with  the  body  in  an  erect,  upright  position. 
Women,  on  account  of  any  disease  or  debility,  languor  or 
any  cause,  habitually  stoop  and  put  the  uterus  in  such  a 
position  in  the  pelvis  as  to  facilitate  its  displacement.  The 
pressure  of  the  abdominal  contents  upon  its  body,  increased 
by  the  exertion  of  coughing,  sneezing,  and  even  respira- 
tion, will  seriously  displace  it.  Such  persons  aggravate 
these  effects  in  ascending  stairs,  walking,  standing,  etc. 

Prolapsus    of  the    Uterus. 

This  false  position  of  the  uterus  is  very  frequent,  and 
is  a  constant  dread  to  females.  It  may  take  place  sud- 
denly and  unexpectedly,  or  gradually,  by  successive  steps. 
In  the  first  instance,  it  may  arise  by  accident,  as  a  fall  ;  or 
by  straining,  as  in  lifting.  The  last  type  —  that  is,  by  suc- 
cessive steps  —  is  the  more  frequent  history  of  displace- 
ment. The  causes  leading  to  it  are  various,  among  which 
we  might  enumerate  child-bearing,  certain  laborious  occu- 
pations, habitual  constipation,  and  general  debility  of  the 
system. 

This  disease  occurs  most  frequently  among  women 
who  have  borne  children  ;  yet,  occasionally,  it  is  met  in 
unmarried  women. 

The    Symptoms. 

The  most  prominent  of  the  symptoms  is  a  dragging 
weight  in  the  pelvis,  an  irritability  of  the  bladder  and  rec- 

1 


ANTEVERSION.  653 

turn,  pain  in  the  back  and  loins,  great  fatigue  in  walking, 
inability  to  lift  heavy  weights,  leucorrhea,  and  other  mani- 
festations. Generally,  there  is  no  derangement  of  men- 
struation. 

If  the  prolapsed  womb  have  fallen  very  low,  so  as  to 
protrude  externally,  the  woman  becomes  faint  and  the 
nervous  system  greatly  affected.  Prolapsus  of  the  uterus, 
whether  it  be  partial  or  complete,  will  continue  to  grow 
from  bad  to  worse  unless  relieved  by  medical  skill.  It 
produces  a  long  train  of  nervous  symptoms  that,  sooner  or 
later,  renders  the  patient  unfit  for  every  kind  of  work.  It 
rarely,  however,  proves  destructive  to  life.  On  account 
of  the  many  unpleasant  symptoms  that  arise  from  dis- 
placements of  the  uterus,  and  the  difficulties  in  meeting 
and  overcoming  these  symptoms,  experimenters  have 
exhausted  themselves  in  devising  pessaries  and  supports 
of  various  kinds,  to  be  applied  for  holding  the  uterus  in 
its  normal  position.  Each  particular  inventor  has  advo- 
cated the  merits  of  his  own  particular  invention.  Many 
of  the  pessaries  have  important  and  valuable  points,  and, 
when  properly  applied,  under  favorable  circumstances, 
where  there  is  not  too  much  local  inflammation,  are  fol- 
lowed with  beneficial  effects. 

Anteversion. 

This  malposition  of  the  uterus  consists  in  an  inclination 
of  the  body  of  the  uterus  toward  the  bladder,  with  uncom- 
fortable pressure  upon  that  organ,  interfering  to  some 
extent  with  its  filling  up  with  urine.  The  most  frequent 


$54  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

causes  of  this  disordered  position  are  parturition, 
enfeebled  muscular  condition,  habits  of  indolence  and 
inactivity,  loss  of  strength  in  the  abdominal  walls,  and  a 
thickened  condition  of  the  anterior  portion  of  the  uterus, 
destroying  its  equilibrium,  and  consequently  tilting  it 
toward  that  side  that  is  heaviest.  This  hypertrophied 
or  thickened  condition  is  the  result  of  congestion,  or  sub- 
sequent inflammation.  In  some  cases,  where  the  ante- 
version  is  but  slight,  there  may  exist  but  little  local  or 
constitutional  disturbance,  but  this  is  not  the  general  rule. 
In  most  instances  it  is  accompanied  by  dysmenorrhea  and 
sterility,  and  the  bladder  is  it  engendering  pain, 

and  constant  desire  to  pass  urine 

Mechanical  means,  as  a  gener  ule,  will  e  required 
to  overcome  this  character  of  displacement.  The  cause  of 
this  malposition  should  be  sought  after,  and,  if  possible, 
removed,  in  order  that  a  permanent  cure  may  be  effected. 
This,  as  a  general  thing,  will  require  the  aid  of  a  physician. 

Retpovepsion. 

This  disorder  consists  in  the  tilting  of  the  body  of  the 
uterus  backwards,  and  the  causes  are  similar  to  those 
named  above  for  other  displacements  of  the  uterus.  A 
woman  suffering  from  this  form  of  displacement  has  severe 
backache,  leucorrhea,  dysmenorrhea,  nervous  prostration, 
menorrhagia  and  pelvic  neuralgia  ;  locomotion  is  impeded  ; 
she  walks  about  with  great  difficulty,  and  is  rather  disposed 
to  remain  in  bed.  Her  appetite  is  poor  ;  she  craves  every- 
thing, but  nothing  tastes  good,  and  there  is  constant 


GENERYL   TREATMENT   FOR   DISPLACEMENTS        655 

tendency  to  flatulency  and  gastric  irritation  ;  she  com- 
plains of  a  sense  of  burning  in  the  region  of  the  uterus, 
accompanied  with  more  or  less  pain  and  tenderness,  and 
even  severe  uterine  colic.  The  patient  is  indeed  miserable, 
unless  she  be  of  a  very  hopeful  disposition,  and  may  settle 
down  in  complete  despair.  Such  cases  do  not  usually 
receive  that  sympathy  that  their  condition  really  deserves. 
The  management  is  no  easy  task,  and  not  infrequently 
taxes  the  ability  of  the  most  experienced  physician. 

General    Treatment   for    Displacements. 

In  all  displacements  of  the  uterus  it  will  be  important 
to  have  an  examination  made  by  an  experienced  physician, 
to  ascertain  the  exact  position  of  the  uterus,  the  probable 
cause,  the  normal  condition  and  the  best  means  for  its 
restoration.  To  overcome  the  displacement  it  is  important 
to  ferret  out  and  remove,  if  possible,  the  cause.  In  displace- 
ments where  the  vagina  is  sensitive  the  use  of  any  kind  of 
pessary  will  be  impracticable.  Extensive  inflammation  of 
the  vagina  and  uterus  will  preclude  the  use  of  the  pessary, 
and  the  doctor  must  first  overcome  this  morbid  state  of 
the  parts.  For  this  purpose  various  applications  will  be 
made. 

Water  of  various  temperatures  will  be  an  important 
means  to  relieve  the  congestion  and  inflammation.  We 
have  found  that  large  quantities  of  water  at  a  high  tem- 
perature are  a  most  salutary  remedy.  It  is  important  that 
large  quantities  be  used  in  order  to  overcome  the  congested 
condition  of  the  capillaries  of  the  vagina.  Any  woman 


656  MAIDENHOOD    AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

knows,  from  experience  in  washing  clothes,  that,  in  the 
application  of  hot  water  to  her  hands  fora  short  time,  they 
will  at  first  become  red  and  rather  swollen  ;  but,  if  she 
continue  the  application  for  a  time,  the  blood  leaves  the 
capillaries,  the  skin  contracts,  and  her  hands  have  a 
shriveled  appearance.  The  same  effect  will  be  produced 
in  the  application  of  hot  water  to  the  vaginal  walls,  thereby 
relieving  the  congestion  and  overcoming  the  inflammation, 
which  will  conduce  to  the  restoration  of  the  parts  to  their 
normal  condition. 

We  sometimes  meet  with  undue  sensitiveness  of  the 
perineum  and  lower  bowel,  which  would  also  preclude  the 
use  of  an  instrument.  This  sensitiveness  is  often  the  result 
of  a  congestion,  but  is  more  frequently  caused  by  inflam- 
mation and  ulceration  of  the  rectum,  or  hemorrhoids. 
Congestions  of  the  uterus,  especially  in  the  acute  and 
sub-acute  forms,  will  preclude  the  use  of  the  pessary. 
Simple  congestion  of  the  uterus  and  that  of  the 
vagina  is  not  infrequent,  and  forbids  the  application 
of  instruments.  Any  adhesions  of  the  uterus  will  have 
to  be  overcome  before  pessaries  can  be  worn  with 
profit.  (Were  I  talking  to  experienced  physicians,  who 
had  observed  the  effect  of  pessaries  upon  these  varied  con- 
ditions of  the  vagina  and  its  environments,  these  remarks 
would  be  unnecessary  ;  but  many  persons  endeavor  to 
overcome  displacements  by  the  use  of  this  or  that  instru- 
ment, only  with  the  result  of  injury  ;  hence  the  necessity 
of  having  a  careful  diagnosis  made  of  the  true  character 
and  nature  of  the  disorder  present.)  Many  women  become 


GENERAL   TREATMENT   FOR   DISPLACEMENTS.      657 

dissatisfied  with  their  medical  attendants  because  they 
cannot  at  once  replace  the  misplaced  uterus  and  maintain  ' 
its  position  by  the  application  of  an  instrument,  as  had 
been  done  in  the  case  of  an  intimate  friend.  It  must  not 
be  forgotten  that,  frequent  as  this  disease  appears  among 
women,  the  most  experienced  physician  rarely  finds  two 
cases  that  are  entirely  similar,  and  that  will  require 
precisely  the  same  line  of  treatment. 

Whenever  there  is  any  general  disturbance  of  the 
circulation,  together  with  pain  in  the  region  of  the  uterus, 
all  attempts  to  restore  the  uterus  to  its  normal  condition 
will  be  extra-official.  All  kinds  of  tumors  in  the  region 
of  the  uterus,  as  a  general  thing,  will  interfere  with  the 
application  of  the  pessary.  Yet  occasionally  cases  will 
appear  that  may  be  made  more  comfortable,  even  where 
there  is  an  existing  tumor,  by  some  mechanical  contrivance 
for  their  support. 

In  the  outset  of  the  treatment  by  the  means  of 
mechanical  support,  the  better  method  to  be  adopted  is 
the  application  of  balls  of  cotton,  which  may  be  immersed 
in  some  medicated  liquid  or  unction,  and  introduced  into 
the  vagina  in  such  size  as  may  be  suited  to  the  cavity  to 
be  filled.  Care  should  be  taken,  however,  to  attach  a 
small  cord  to  the  balls  of  cotton,  so  that  their  removal 
may  be  accomplished  without  difficulty.  These  com- 
presses in  the  uterus  and  vaginal  walls  may  be  increased 
in  size  and  quantity  as  the  parts  become  inured  to  the 
presence  of  a  false  body,  until  the  entire  vagina  can  be 
filled  with  them. 


058        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

Thus  the  cotton  may  be  saturated  with  properly-medi- 
cated liquids,  and  the  womb  may  be  held  in  such  position 
as  will  restore  it  to  its  normal  condition.  No  mechanical 
support  to  the  uterus  will  be  found  better  adapted  to  all 
kinds  of  displacement  than  these  pledgets  of  cotton-wool, 
or  sheep's  wool. 

In  most  cases  the  service  of  the  physician  will  be 
required  to  replace  a  misplaced  uterus,  but  in  many 
instances  the  woman  herself  will  be  able  to  accomplish 
this  end.  In  order  that  she  may  the  more  easily  restore 
the  position  of  the  uterus,  she  should  assume  a  geno- 
pectoral  position  —  that  is,  rest  herself  upon  her  knees  and 
breast,  so  that  her  hips  may  be  elevated.  Then,  by 
introducing  into  the  vagina  a  small  tube,  or  even  by  intro- 
ducing two  fingers,  so  separating  them  as  to  permit  the 
entry  of  air  into  the  vagina,  the  gravity  of  the  uterus  from 
her  attitude  will  compel  it  to  fall  downward  into  position. 
The  pledgets  of  cotton  referred  to  should  be  applied  while 
in  this  position.  Whereupon,  she  may  turn  over  upon 
her  side  and  rest  for  a  few  hours.  If  these  directions  be 
followed  daily  for  a  time,  with  the  application  of  some 
mild  astringent,  the  free  use  of  water,  proper  regulation  of 
the  bowels,  and  good  dietetic  rules,  good  health  will 
follow.  All  predisposing  causes  should  be  overcome  so 
far  as  possible. 

Among  all  the  mechanical  means  adopted  for  the 
support  of  the  uterus,  the  medicated  tampons  will  be  found 
the  most  beneficial,  and  least  likely  to  produce  harm  in 
the  hands  of  the  inexperienced.  Other  pessaries,  no 


GENERAL   TREATMENT   FOR   DISPLACEMENTS.      659 

ir.atter  of  what  sort,  should  be  repeatedly  examined,  lest 
they  become  imbedded  in  the  soft  tissue,  producing 
erosions  of  the  mucous  membrane.  This  will  be  followed 
with  ulcerations,  thereby  increasing  the  suffering  that  they 
are  intended  to  relieve.  No  such  dangers  can  result  from 
the  use  of  tampons  or  cotton-wool  or  sheep's  wool,  no 
matter  by  whom  applied. 

The  following  solution  will  be  found  quite  efficacious 
on  the  diseased  parts,  and  may  be  applied  :  Immerse  the 
cotton  in  carbolic  .acid,  one  part  ;  alum,  ten  parts  ; 
glycerine,  eight  parts.  This  solution  will  be  found  very 
erviceable  in  all  diseases  pertaining  to  the  uterus  and 
vagina.  By  the  application  of  the  glycerine  a  free 
discharge  of  water  from  the  uterus  and  vaginal  walls  will 
be  effected,  thereby  relieving  the  congestion  and  inflam- 
mation. The  alum  acts  as  an  astringent  on  the  vaginal 
walls,  and  the  carbolic  acid,  from  its  antiseptic  qualities, 
renders  it  possible  for  the  tampon  of  cotton  to  remain  a 
considerable  time.  It  would  be  better,  however,  that  the 
cotton  be  taken  out  every  thirty-six  to  forty-eight  hours, 
and  the  vagina  washed  thoroughly  with  water  as  before 
directed. 

No  inconvenience  should  be  experienced  by  the  patient 
in  the  wearing  of  this  kind  of  support.  It  may  be  neces- 
sary, however,  that  only  small  pledgets  of  cotton  be  at 
first  used,  which  may  be  increased  as  the  comfort  of  the 
patient  demands.  The  uterus  is  often  subject  to  deformi- 
ties, which  may  be  confounded  with  displacements.  These 
are  termed  flexions,  and  receive  the  names  of  "  ante- 


66C  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

flexion,"  which  means  the  bending  of  the  uterus  upon 
itself  forwards,  or  "  retroflexion,"  which  means  the  bend- 
ing of  the  uterus  upon  itself  backwards.  These  conditions 
are  very  common,  but  as  their  diagnosis  and  treatment 
will  depend  upon  the  ability  of  a  surgical  expert,  we  need 
not  enter  into  a  discussion  of  their  character  here. 

To  the  means  above  referred  to  for  the  proper  restora- 
tion of  this  inflamed,  congested  and  misplaced  organ,  as 
well  as  the  parts  immediately  in  connection  with  it,  we 
may  add  massage,  which  will  be  found  a  valuable  auxiliary 
in  relieving  such  local  congestion.  The  services  of  an 
experienced  operator  will  be  attended  with  the  most  satis- 
factory results  ;  nevertheless,  much  benefit  may  be  derived 
from  this  method  of  treatment,  practiced  even  by  an  inex- 
perienced hand.  The  abdominal  walls  should  be  thoroughly 
manipulated  and  kneaded,  first  gently,  the  pressure  being 
increased  as  the  parts  become  accustomed  to  the  rubbing  ; 
deep  and  heavy  pressure  is  to  be  made  by  the  fingers  of 
both  hands  down  into  the  vagina  through  the  walls  of  the 
abdomen.  This  is  best  accomplished  with  the  patient 
lying  on  the  back.  Additional  manipulation  and  pressure 
may  be  made  upon  the  lower  part  of  the  spine  and  but- 
tocks, the  operator  using  both  hands,  applying  their  palms 
to  the  hips,  and  making  heavy  pressure  repeatedly  for 
several  minutes  while  the  patient  lies  upon  her  face. 

The    Ovaries. 

The  ovaries  are  situated  on  either  side  of  the  uterus, 
to  which  they  are  attached  by  a  strong  ligament,  or  cord. 
They  occupy  the  posterior  or  back  part  of  the  broad  liga- 


THE   OVARIES.  66l 

ment.  When  their  size  and  weight  are  somewhat  increased 
by  congestion,  they  may  vary  from  their  natural  position 
by  descending  lower  down  in  the  pelvis.  This  is  called 
displacement  of  the  ovaries.  The  ovaries  are  seated  so 
deep  down  in  the  pelvis  as  to  apparently  preclude  every 
means  of  investigation.  This  is  especially  so  in  persons 
who  are  very  fleshy,  but  women  who  are  thin  of  flesh  can 
generally  reach  the  ovaries  with  the  finger,  because  when 
they  are  influenced  by  disease  themselves,  or  by  displace- 
ments of  the  uterus,  they  are  made  to  occupy  a  lower 
position  in  the  pelvis,  thus  making  their  examination  more 
easy. 

(The  most  simple  plan  of  examination  is  to  introduce 
the  index  and  middle  fingers  as  far  into  the  vagina  as  pos- 
sible, and  direct  them  high  up  to  the  side  and  back  part 
of  the  uterus,  while  with  the  other  hand,  above  the  pubis, 
you  make  deep  and  heavy  pressure  upon  the  contents  of 
the  pelvis,  so  as  to  force  them'  in  the  direction  of  the 
fingers  already  in  the  vagina.  In  performing  this  operation 
the  patient  should  lie  upon  her  back,  across  the  couch, 
with  her  buttocks  drawn  close  to  its  edge,  and  her  limbs 
well  flexed.  By  this  means,  generally,  an  examination 
of  the  ovaries  may  be  pretty  efficiently  made,  and,  espe- 
cially so,  if  there  be  any  enlargement  or  misplacement  of 
one  or  both  of  these  organs.  The  ovary  is  rather  nearer 
the  anus  than  the  vaginal  orifice ;  hence  they  may  be  the 
more  easily  examined  by  introducing  the  finger  into  the 
rectum.  This,  however,  is  usually  accompanied  with  more 
pain  to  the  patient. 


662  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

The  ovaries,  like  the  other  sexual  organs,  are  the  sub- 
jects of  various  diseases,  such  as,  atrophy,  hypertrophy, 
congestion  and  inflammation.  The  effects  and  symptoms 
of  these  various  diseases  are  closely  allied  to  those  of  the 
uterus  and  its  surroundings. 

Atrophy. — The  ovaries,  like  other  organs  of  the  body, 
may  be  imperfectly  developed.  It  is  no  uncommon  thing 
to  meet  with  a  woman  whose  whole  sexual  system  would 
indicate  that  of  mere  childhood.  Her  breasts  are  about 
the  size  of  a  miss  of  ten  or  a  dozen  years  old  ;  she  does 
not  menstruate,  and  has  no  sexual  desire  ;  if  she  be  mar- 
ried she  will  not  bear  children.  All  the  organs  of  genera- 
tion will  be  found  upon  examination  to  be  in  an 
undeveloped  state. 

Hypertrophy. — By  hypertrophy  of  the  ovary  is  under- 
stood an  increase  of  size  without  any  manifest  alteration 
of  character.  This  may  result  from  long  congestion, 
causing  an  increased  nutrition  from  the  excessive  blood 
with  which  the  organ  has  been  for  a  long  time  supplied. 
However,  we  have  not  been  able  to  fully  demonstrate  the 
origin  of  this  enlarged  condition  of  the  ovary.  Another 
cause  that  may  be  assigned  for  this  enlarged  condition  of 
the  ovary  is  thought  to  be  found  in  inflammatory  effu- 
sions, which  are  due  to  chronic  inflammation.  We  can 
generally  detect  these  enlarged  conditions  of  the  ovary  by 
physical  examination,  but  it  is  not  easy  in  many  cases  to 
determine  the  nature  of  the  enlargement. 

Displacement. — On  account  of  the  intimate  relation 
and  connection  of  the  ovary  with  the  uterus,  and  the 


THE   OVARIES.  663 

strong  ligaments  by  which  these  organs  are  attached  to 
each  other,  any  displacement  of  the  uterus  may  be  fol- 
lowed by  a  displacement  of  the  ovary.  For  example, 
when  the  uterus  rises  into  the  abdominal  cavity,  as  it  does 
during  pregnancy,  the  ovaries  are  carried  up  with  it,  and 
may  be  felt  in  very  thin  persons  through  the  abdominal 
walls,  distinguished  by  their  movability  and  tenderness. 
Likewise,  in  retroversion  of  the  uterus,  the  ovaries  are 
displaced  to  a  greater  or  lesser  extent  downward  and 
backward.  This  condition  will  frequently  be  followed 
with  great  trouble  and  pain,  and  is  to  a  great  extent  a 
serious  difficulty  in  the  way  of  overcoming  a  backward 
displacement.  In  some  cases,  however,  the  ovaries  may 
assume  this  position  without  any  displacement  of  the 
uterus,  thus  causing  a  very  troublesome  disorder,  which 
frequently  receives  the  name  of  ovarian  irritation.  This 
displacement  of  the  ovaries,  also,  is  frequently  accom- 
panied with  some  organic  disease.  Such  cases  are 
accompanied  by  very  morbid  phenomena,  destroying  the 
comfort  of  the  patient,  and  affecting  her  not  only  physi- 
cally but  mentally. 

Symptoms  of  Ovarian  Displacements. —  The  symp- 
toms of  ov.arian  displacements  are  of  two  kinds  —  general 
and  local.  The  local  symptoms  are  similar  to  those 
accompanying  other  diseases  of  the  generative  organs, 
viz. :  Backache,  tenderness  along  the  lower  part  of  the 
spine  ;  pain  and  weight,  or  a  bearing  down  sensation  are 
sometimes  experienced. 


664  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Frequently  there  are  a  derangement  of  the  menses  and 
other  troubles  incident  to  the  disease  of  the  pelvic  organs. 
As  to  general  symptoms,  it  is  questionable  whether  or  not 
any  person,  in  the  delineation  of  these  diseases  of  the 
pelvic  organs,  can  draw  the  line  of  demarkation  so  as  to 
say  what  class  of  symptoms  belong  to  the  disease  of  this 
or  of  that  particular  organ.  Some  authorities  are  of  the 
opinion  that  the  whole  train  of  nervous  symptoms  arising 
from  diseases  of  the  vagina,  uterus  and  vulva  are  reflected 
upon  the  body  through  the  medium  of  the  ovary,  and 
that,'  no  matter  what  organ  is  the  seat  of  the  disease,  we 
shall  have,  in  connection  therewith,  the  necessary  ovarian 
irritation.  Many  of  the  symptoms  delineated  in  the 
article  "  Nervous  Exhaustion,"  are  no  doubt  more  or  less 
connected  with  displacement  of  the  ovaries,  to  which 
article  the  reader  is  referred  for  these  symptoms  and  their 
appropriate  remedies. 

Treatment. —  The  application  of  remedies  for  the 
relief  of  this  or  that  'nervous  disorder,  as  headache,  hys- 
terical convulsions,  sleeplessness,  etc.,  will  be  found  futile, 
and  these  symptoms  can  only  be  removed  by  hygienic 
treatment.  The  patient  must  have  recourse  to  nutrition, 
exercise  and  baths. 

Lack  of  nutrition  seems  to  be  the  principal  cause 
of  this  class  of  nervous  affections — no  matter  whether 
you  call  it  innutrition  of  the  nerves  or  innutrition  of  the 
blood.  If  the  blood  be  exhausted,  the  whole  system 
must  suffer,  both  in  its  physical  and  mental  departments, 
and  it  is  mainly  through  this  channel  that  we  may  hope  to 


THE   OVARIES.  665 

operate.  What  we  want  to  do  with  such  patients  is  to 
entirely  revolutionize  their  habits  of  life,  and  increase  the 
constructive  processes  of  their  systems.  ••  The  accomplish- 
ment of  this  end  will  frequently  call  forth  all  the  ingenu- 
tity  and  patience  of  the  most  experienced  physician. 

In  some  cases  it  will  be  necessary  to  enjoin  perfect 
rest ;  in  others,  exercise,  active  as  well  as  passive.  The 
most  important  part  of  the  treatment,  however,  is  a  proper 
selection  of  nutritious  food,  and  in  abundant  supply. 

Dr.  Byford's  prescription  is,  three  ounces  of  beefsteak 
for  breakfast  ;  toast,  potatoes,  and  other  vegetables,  as  the 
capacity  of  the  stomach  or  digestion  will  allow.  Six 
ounces  of  roast  beef,  or  mutton  ;  bread  and  butter,  pota- 
toes, vegetables,  etc.,  for  dinner.  For  supper,  the  same 
as  breakfast,  and,  after  each  meal  and  at  bedtime,  one 
pint  of  good  fresh  milk. 

The  only  limit  to  be  placed  on  the  quantity  of  food 
indicated  is  the  capacity  of  the  stomach  to  retain  it. 

If  the  food  be  not  rejected  by  vomiting,  or  do  not 
irritate  the  bowels  enough  to  cause  diarrhea,  the  want  of 
appetite  or  the  inconvenience  that  may  arise  during 
digestion  should  not  be  considered  reason  for  refusing  it. 
Usually  the  stomach  will  soon  become  tolerant,  and,  after 
a  time,  the  enriched  blood  circulating  through  its  granular 
apparatus,  will  engender  a  relish  for  food,  and  the  patient 
will  eat  with  pleasure.  This  intimation  that  an  inane 
stomach  will  necessarily  digest  with  difficulty  is  intentional, 
for  it  is  not  believed  that  an  energetic  action  is  possible 
without  a  sufficient  supply  of  blood.  With  this,  or  some 


666        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

equivalent  method  of  feeding  the  patient,  there  should  be 
associated  some  plan  by  which  she  can  get  plenty  of  fresh 
air,  and  have  as  much  exercise  as  she  is  able  to  take. 
This  may  be  passive  at  first,  but,  as  soon  as  possible,  it 
ought  to  be  active.  Active  exercise  may  be  begun  by 
having  the  patient  walk,  supported  by  a  strong  nurse.  As 
soon  as  she  can  walk  alone  support  should  be  withheld. 

It  is  not  rest  but  exercise  that  should  be  advised  in 
these  cases.  Of  this  I  am  fully  convinced  by  experiment 
and  unmistakable  proof  in  my  own  practice.  As  long  as 
nutrition  can  be  supplied  the  patient  will  profit  by  exercise, 
but,  if  nutrition  be  impossible,  then,  of  course,  exercise  is 
is  impossible  also. 

Thus  far  I  have  said  nothing  about  medicines  to  aid 
digestion  or  to  increase  nerve  force,  not  because  I  have 
no  faith  in  them,  but  because  I  believe  them  of  secondary 
importance  —  mere  adjuncts,  instead  of  the  principals,  in 
the  treatment  of  this  condition  of  the  system.  I  could  cite 
a  number  of  instances  in  which  this  course  of  management 
resulted  in  averting  the  dangers  and  mutilations  of  the 
more  heroic  treatment  by  cauterization,  establishing  a 
vigorous  and  tolerant  condition  of  the  nerve-system,  thus 
curing  ovarian  irritation. 

These  suggestions  are  applicable  in  other  cases  than 
displacements  of  the  ovaries  in  which  there  is  ovarian 
irritation. 

As  to  the  management  of  the  displacement :  In  some 
few  cases,  where  the  ovaries  are  borne  down  by  a  dis- 
placed uterus,  we  may  correct  .the  displacement  so  far  as 


THE   OVARIES.  66/ 

to  greatly  improve  the  circulation  of  these  organs,  and 
thus  remove  a  great  element  in  ovarian  distress.  This,  of 
course,  is  done  by  correcting  the  displacement  of  the 
uterus  by  proper  means  of  support,  as  has  been  already 
suggested. 

Inflammation. — Acute  inflammation  of  the  ovaries  will 
generally  be  found  in  connection  with  local  inflammation 
of  the  peritoneum.  Inflammation  of  the  cellular  tissues 
of  the  pelvis  is  a  common  affection.  Inflammation  of  the 
ovaries,  as  an  independent  disease,  is  a  rare  occurrence. 
Examinations  after  death  reveal  the  existence  of  inflam- 
mation of  the  ovaries  and  surrounding  tissues,  in  all  stages, 
from  simple  inflammation  to  destructive  suppuration. 
This  condition  occurs  as  a  result  either  of  abortion,  or 
labor  at  full  term,  and  other  puerperal  conditions.  Inflam- 
mation of  the  ovaries  in  this  connection  will  cause  no 
separate  symptoms  nor  require  any  special  mode  of  treat- 
ment. 

Treatment  may  be  commenced  with  five  grains  of 
calomel,  followed  in  six  to  eight  hours  by  a  saline  cathar- 
tic. Poultices  may  be  applied  to  the  abdomen,  or,  what 
is  better,  turpentine  stupes,  as  have  been  suggested  in 
the  treatment  for  inflammation  of  the  uterus.  The  pain 
should  be  relieved  by  opiates,  after  the  operation  of  the 
cathartic.  Rest,  in  a  recumbent  position,  is  strictly 
enjoined.  The  bowels  should  be  kept  open  with  some 
mild  laxative.  The  diet  should  be  light  and  non-stimu- 
lant, and  the  use  of  stimulants  absolutely  forbidden. 


668  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 


Nervous    Exhaustion. 

Nervous  exhaustion  has  never  been  fully  understood, 
nor  its  importance  appreciated  by  writers  on  pathology. 
Consequently  it  has  not  received  that  amount  of  attention 
at  the  hands  of  the  practitioner  that  its  frequency  and 
importance  demand. 

The  nervous  system  is  a  term  including  all  the  nerves 
of  the  body  connected  immediately  with  the  brain  or 
spinal  column,  or  with  the  ganglionic  system.  The  nerves 
supply  the  stimulus  administered  to  every  muscle  of  the 
body,  by  which  its  action  is  influenced,  whether  that 
action  be  voluntary  or  involuntary.  From  this  it  will  be 
observed,  that  if  the  muscular  stimulus  be  exhausted,  a 
healthy  condition  is  impossible. 

It  is  not  at  all  surprising,  then,  that  a  disease  that 
takes  hold  of  the  very  root  of  the  physical  economy  should 
ciaim  important  attention.  By  the  nervous  system  we 
are  what  we  are,  and  through  it  we  are  connected  with 
the  world.  As  nervous  exhaustion  occurs  among  all 
classes  and  conditions  of  society,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
much  speculation  has  been  excited  in  regard  to  what 
change  takes  place  in  the  substance  of  the  nerves. 

From  the  serious  consequences  resulting,  it  must  be 
admitted  that  a  subtle  change  takes  place  in  the  struc- 
ture of  the  nerve,  and  that  the  change  is  more  hidden  in 
this  disease  than  in  most  others.  There  seems  to  be  no 
more  plausible  theory  than  that  there  must  be  influences 
so  acting  as  to  interrupt  the  normal  equilibrium  of  nutri- 


NERVOUS    EXHAUSTION.  669 

tion.  Whether  this  conclusion  answer  all  the  scientific 
tests  that  may  be  applied  to  it  or  not,  this  subtle  change 
must  be  effected  through  the  well  known  principles  of 
physiology.  New  developments  have  been  made  during 
the  last  few  years  that  have  materially  affected  our  knowl- 
edge of  the  disease.  However,  the  peculiar  intermingling 
of  the  vesicular  nerve  cells,  together  with  the  rapid  trans- 
mission of  the  various  external  impressions  operating 
through  the  whole  tract  of  the  nerve  to  the  brain,  has  been 
and  may  remain  a  mystery. 

It  has  been  shown  that  there  are  different  nerves 
transmitting  different  external  impressions  to  the  center  of 
the  nervous  system,  and  that  one  nerve  transmits  one 
impulse  and  another  a  different  one.  This  is  of  much 
importance  to  us.  For  us  to  say  we  have  any  true  knowl- 
edge of  how  it  is  done  would  be  as  absurd  and  speculative 
as  to  say  what  moves  the  wheels  of  a  watch  without 
knowing  the  motor  power.  We  have  some  knowledge 
and  acquaintance  with  the  conditions  necessary  to  main- 
tain in  what  is  called  nerve  force,  and  its  power  to  receive 
external  impressions.  When  interrupted,  that  power  will 
grow  less  and  less. 

The  whole  nervous  organism,  being  like  all  the  other 
parts  of  the  body,  is  liable  to  growth  and  decay.  The 
forms  of  nerve  debility  are  numerous  and  varied,  and  the 
agents  producing  this  abnormal  condition  and  causing 
debility  are  unlimited.  But,  when  the  whole  complex 
machinery  is  kept  within  a  proper  radius  of  stimulated 
excitement,  and  the  brain  given  a  normal  amount  of  work, 


6/O  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

there  will  be  an  increase  of  nerve  power  and  physical 
endurance. 

It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  to  accurately  observe 
the  first  symptoms  of  over  stimulation  of  the  brain  and 
nervous  system,  and  thus  be  able  to  guard  against 
subsequent  results. 

The  parents  and  teachers  should  be  the  guardians  of 
those  intellects  intrusted  to  their  care.  The  instruction 
given  by  both,  for  the  purpose  of  building  up  a  perfect 
physique  or  a  strong  intellect  in  these  more  or  less  tender 
shoots,  is  only  too  frequently  in  direct  violation  of  great 
physiological  laws. 

The  more  modern  idea  is  to  excite  the  mind  and  enrich 
it  by  innumerable  external  impressions.  This  is  indulging 
the  vain  hope  that  this  broad  distribution  of  mental  fer- 
tilizers will  insure  a  rich  harvest  of  thought,  but  forgetting 
that  it  will  be  followed  by  exhaustion  and  debility.  The 
great  complex  body  of  instructors,  themselves  suffering 
from  nervous  debility  to  a  greater  or  less  extent,  fail  to 
remove  the  active  agents  causing  nervous  debility.  By  the 
neglect  to  apply  preventive  measures,  subsequent  ills  are 
sure  to  follow.  It  is  just  when  this  mental  twig  should  be 
fast  gathering  external  impressions  for  growth  and  devel- 
opment through  the  watchful  care  of  mental  husbandry, 
that  we  too  frequently  witness  its  death  in  the  vineyard. 

Here  and  there  is  a  scholar,  maintaining  a  perfect  state 
of  nerve-nutrition,  who  pushes  boldly  onward  and  upward. 
Through  his  own  efforts  he  is  equipped  for  the  wild  billows 
on  the  ocean  of  life.  Yet  when  he  is  rapidly  ascending  to 


SYMPTOMS   AND    CAUSES   OF   NERVE   EXHAUSTION.      6/1 

such  giddy  heights  of  greatness,  he  needs  assistance,  that 
the  stock  of  combustion  by  which  he  is  enabled  to  make 
his  ascent,  be  not  exhausted  ;  for  as  the  ascent  has  been 
great,  the  fall  may  be  correspondingly  hard. 

Symptoms  and  Causes  of  Nerve   Exhaustion. 

The  symptoms  of  nervous  exhaustion  have  never  been 
fully  described  in  any  work  as  yet  written  on  the  subject. 
They  are  so  varied  and  manifold  that  volumes  might  be 
filled  with  them  and  the  subject  be  left  unexhausted.  Suf- 
fice it  for  our  purpose  to  introduce  a  few  of  the  more 
prominent,  that  the  reader  may,  by  reflection  and  com- 
parison, get  such  information  from  the  subject  as  may 
cause  her  arrest  if  she  be  (as  many  women  are)  on  the 
way  to  nervous  bankruptcy. 

For  convenience  and  ease,  let  us  commence  with  that 
part  of  the  animal  economy  that  is  the  seat  of  the  nerve 
center,  namely,  the  head. 

Tenderness  of  the  scalp  manifests  itself  differently  in 
different  subjects.  This  tenderness  may  be  over  the  entire 
head,  or  may  be  confined  to  the  back  of  the  head  or  front 
part  of  it.  The  scalp  is  frequently  so  tender  that  it  is 
with  difficulty  that  a  comb  or  brush  can  be  used.  Even 
the  very  hair  feels  sore.  There  is  frequently  a  sense  of 
heat  and  burning  at  the  back  part  of  the  head  that  maybe 
relieved  by  firm  pressure. 

At  times  patients  complain  of  a  sore  spot,  or  tender- 
ness, sometimes  on  the  forehead  or  temples,  more  fre- 
quently at  the  nape  of  the  neck,  or  at  the  base  of  the 


6/2        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

brain.  Many  want  a  support  for  the  head  because  the 
neck  aches  so  severely  that  it  is  unwilling  to  support  the 
head.  These  patients  have  dull,  inexpressive  eyes.  At 
times  the  pupils  are  freely  dilated,  and  then  contract  alter- 
nately or  temporarily  ;  one  pupil  may  remain  more  dilated 
than  the  other. 

Sick  headache  and  head-pain  generally  are  frequent 
symptoms.  Some  patients  get  sick  and  vomit,  and  then 
experience  a  sense  of  relief,  but  the  pain  is  at  times 
severe,  and  may  not  produce  sickness  of  the  stomach  ; 
may  be  at  the  base  of  the  brain,  and  may  last  for  days, 
and  then -grow  less,  and  is  much  more  troublesome  than 
sick  headache.  There  is  pain,  pressure  and  heaviness  in 
the  back  of  the  head  and  top,  and  through  the  whole 
head.  This  pain  is  quite  common  and  may  at  times  be 
the  result  of  an  excess  of  blood  in  the  brain. 

Vertigo,  or  lightness  of  the  head,  is  a  common  symp- 
tom, and  one  that  is  very  annoying,  rendering  the  patient 
unable  to  balance  herself  well.  She  is  never  able  to 
exactly  describe  her  feelings.  The  eyes  are  variously 
affected  by  this  exhaustion.  At  times  the  white  of  the 
eye  is  congested  and  red,  the  eyeball  painful  ;  the  patient 
complains  of  severe  aching  through  the  eyeballs,  and 
is  at  times  unable  to  use  them.  The  vision  becomes 
impaired.  There  appears  to  be  a  mist  or  cloud  before 
the  eyes.  At  other  times  there  are  dark  specks,  which 
often  annoy  those  who  are  only  slightly  nervous.  Noises 
in  the  ear,  in  the  shape  of  sudden  explosions  or  pulsa- 
tions, with  almost  every  variety  of  sound,  are  quite 


SYMPTOMS   AND   CAUSES   OF   NERVE   EXHAUSTION.      673 

common  in  exhaustion  of  the  brain.  These  explosions 
come  on  at  times,  without  any  warning,  when  one  is 
perfectly  quiet.  Sometimes  there  is  a  pumping  sound,  as 
though  the  heart  were  beating  in  the  ear. 

There  are  few  organs  that  this  disease  does  not  affect, 
from  the  crown  of  the  head  to  the  end  of  the  toes.  The 
voice  is  changed,  and  there  is  a  peculiar  softness,  faint- 
ness,  want  of  courage,  and  clearness  of  tone.  These 
terms  may  not  be  as  clear  as  they  should  be,  but  there  are 
few  persons  who  cannot  call  to  mind  cases  of  this  kind. 

"  The  voice,"  says  Emerson,  "  is  a  delicate  index  of 
the  soul,  and  the  orator  can  always  tell,  by  the  quality 
of  his  speech  at  the  beginning  of  an  oration  or  sermon, 
whether  he  is  or  is  not  in  a  mood  of  speaking  —  whether 
he  is  to  be  eloquent  or  will  utterly  fail."  Dr.  Cutter  and 
others  affirm  that  diseases  of  the  reproductive  organs  are 
closely  reflected  on  the  voice,  and  that  treatment  directed 
to  these  organs,  without  any  application  to  the  vocal 
organs,  will  relieve  them  and  restore  the  voice. 

There  is  often  an  inability  to  concentrate  the  mind  on 
any  subject,  such  as  writing  a  letter  or  reading  an  article 
in  the  paper,  or  a  chapter  in  the  Bible.  The  mind  wan- 
ders away  in  every  direction.  When  brought  back  by  an 
effort  of  the  will,  one  is  liable  to  be  soon  lost  again  in 
reverie.  Closely  allied  to  this  deficient  mental  control,  is. 
the  saying  of  one  thing,  meaning  another  ;  saying 
sometimes  the  very  opposite  of  what  one  meant  to  say  ; 
saying  sometimes  what  it  was  wished  to  avoid. 

There  may  be  an  irritability  of  mind,  a  disposition  to 


6/4  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

fret  and  become  irascible  over  trifles  which,  when  feeling 
well  and  calm,  would  have  no  influence  upon  her.  The 
flurries  of  domestic  life,  the  cares  of  the  house,  disap- 
pointments and  vexations,  even  the  noise  and  play  of 
children,  become  a  source  of  distress. 

Hopelessness  is  another  symptom.  A  person  may  be 
dying  in  the  last  stages  of  consumption  or  some  incurable 
disease,  and  yet  be  hopeful.  But  in  nervous  exhaustion 
she  is  without  hope.  Her  friends  may  laugh  at  her  and 
ridicule  her  for  talking,  or  even  thinking  of  dying,  but  she 
is  hopeless,  because  her  nerve-force  is  so  reduced  that  the 
mere  holding  on  of  life  seems  to  be  a  burden  too  heavy  to 
bear.  Closely  allied  to  this  symptom  of  hopelessness  is  a 
morbid  fear.  Fear  is  indeed  a  first  law  of  Nature,  but, 
when  the  nerve-force  of  the  system  is  being  exhausted,  the 
tendency  in  this  direction  becomes  intensified,  and  the 
patient  is  afraid  of  everything.  Should  the  door-bell 
ring  she  is  startled,  her  "heart  comes  into  her  mouth." 
If  a  cloud  rise  in  the  horizon,  she  cannot  be  still,  but  paces 
the  floor  in  unrest,  fearing  a  terrible  storm  that  will  destroy 
everything. 

Such  patients  frequently  shun  society  and  can  scarcely 
be  induced  to  attend  church,  much  as  has  been  their  habit 
to  do  so.  They  are  ever  manufacturing  trivial  excuses  for 
remaining  at  home. 

Flushing  and  figitiness  characterize  the  patient.  This 
class  of  patients  are  easily  flushed  by  any  slight  emotion, 
and  are  unable  to  keep  still.  The  disposition  to  blush 
from  the  slightest  possible  mental  or  physical  causes, 


SYMPTOMS   AND    CAUSES   OF   NERVE    EXHAUSTION.      6/5 

extending  not  only  over  the  face  and  ears,  but  down  the 
neck,  and  perhaps  to  other  parts  of  the  body,  is  very 
common. 

Inability  to  sleep,  called  insomnia,  is  a  usual  symptom 
of  nerve  exhaustion,  and  affects  persons  in  a  great  variety 
of  ways.  One  finds  no  trouble  in  getting  to  sleep  on 
retiring,  but  soon  wakes,  and  must  remain  awake  for  the 
rest  of  the  night.  Another  rolls  and  tumbles  for  hours 
before  she  can  get  to  sleep.  When  once  asleep,  she  does 
not  usually  wake  until  morning.  Others  sleep  in  naps. 
Bad  dreams  constantly  harass  the  patient.  Why  a  person 
disturbed  with  indigestion  or  affected  with  nervous  exhaus- 
tion should  dream  of  snakes  and  monsters,  and  not  of 
green  bowers  and  gardens  of  flowers  ;  of  death  and  murder 
instead  of  delightful  society  and  pleasant  associations,  is 
only  explained  upon  the  principle  that  a  healthy  functional 
action  of  the  nervous  system  is  designed  to  be  in  the  main 
pleasurable,  and  that  unpleasant  dreams  are  the  manifes- 
tations of  nervous  suffering,  and,  like  physical  pain,  are  a 
symptom  of  some  abnormal  condition. 

But  nervous  exhaustion  not  infrequently,  with  some 
patients,  produces  the  very  opposite  effect.  They  are 
listless  and  drowsy  the  greater  portion  of  the  time.  Some 
cannot  sit  down  to  read  or  sew  without  experiencing  an 
inability  to  keep  awake,  and  perhaps  in  a  moment  the 
book  or  work  falls  from  their  hands  and  nothing  is  accom- 
plished. 

A  peculiar  symptom  of  nerve-exhaustion,  and  one 
frequently  observed,  is  tenderness  of  the  teeth,  accom- 


676  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

panied  with  a'whitish  or  pale  appearance  of  the  gums.  In 
these  attacks,  all  the  teeth  may  be  very  tender  on  pressure, 
although  not  decayed.  In  this  disease,  which  has  its 
origin  in  the  great  centers  of  sensation,  it  is  not  surprising 
to  find  pain  or  tenderness  of  any  part  of  the  body,  as  may 
be  seen  from  a  review  of  the  symptoms  we  have  been 
presenting. 

In  a  great  variety  of  cases,  nervous  dyspepsia  is  the 
first  noticeable  symptom  of  nervous  exhaustion  —  the  first 
sign  that  the  body  is  giving  away.  The  stomach  may  be 
functionally  deranged  for  a  long  time  before  there  is  any 
other  manifestation  that  the  nervous  system  is  failing. 
This  species  of  disease  should  not  be  confounded  with 
indigestion ;  that  is  the  result  of  organic  disease  of  the 
stomach,  such  as  chronic  inflammation  or  other  disturb- 
ances interfering  with  a  proper  disposition  of  its  contents. 

In  nervous  dyspepsia  the  patients  feel  worse  when  the 
stomach  is  empty,  and  are  relieved  by  eating,  their  great- 
est distress  being  before  meals  ;  they  are  unable  to  perform 
any  labor,  either  mental  or  physical,  on  an  empty  stomach, 
without  more  or  less  suffering,  such  as  pain  in  the  eyes, 
pain  in  the  head,  and  general  nervous  distress  all  over  the 
.body.  The  symptoms  of  nervous  dyspepsia  are  very 
unstable,  coming  and  going,  and  changing  frequently. 
This  form  of  dyspepsia  is  apt  to  be  associated  with  other 
nervous  symptoms  in  other  parts  of  the  body,  and  is  most 
commonly  found  among  persons  of  nervous  temperament. 
Treatment  directed  to  the  nervous  system  benefits  them, 
whether  or  not  that  treatment  have  any  special  beneficial 
effect  upon  the  stomach  itself. 


SYMPTOMS   AND    CAUSES   OF   NERVE    EXHAUSTION.      6/7 

No  appetite  for  fluids  at  meals  or  at  other  times  is 
another  evidence  of  nervous  exhaustion.  Many  nervous 
patients  have  said  that  they  rarely  take  a  drink  of  any 
fluid,  having  as  little,  if  not  less,  desire  for  fluids  than  for 
solids.  Hence,  both  in  eating  and  drinking  they  are 
limited  to  starving  quantities,  because  the  stomach  suffers 
if  they  take  liquid  as  much  as  if  they  took  food.  When 
we  remember  that  the  body  is  composed  mostly  of  water, 
we  can  easily  see  there  is  a  danger  of  starving  for  the 
want  of  simple  liquid,  just  as,  under  the  influence  of  our 
civilization,  we  are  starving  for  the  want  of  fatty  food.' 

Desire  for  stimulants  and  narcotics  is  a  symptom  of 
nervous  debility.  Whenever  the  nervous  system  grows 
feeble  and  unable  to  stand  alone  without  some  support, 
it  begins  to  cast  about  itself  for  some  convenient  prop  on 
which  to  lean.  Artificial  stimulants,  which  are  always  at 
hand,  present  themselves,  and  kindly  tender  the  proffered 
aid  by  affording  ease  and  comfort.  Hence  the  patients 
try  chloral,  chloroform,  opium  and  alcohol  for  relief  from 
their  troubles,  and  they  try  again,  until  the  appetite  for 
such  stimulants  is  acquired.  Thus  many  individuals 
become  slaves  to  the  drug-shop. 

Sweating  of  the  hands  and  feet,  especially  sweating  of 
the  palm  of  the  hand,  is  a  very  common  symptom  of 
nervous  exhaustion.  The  cases  of  this  kind  are  frequently 
mild,  and  do  not  attract  special  attention  unless  referred 
to.  There  are  others  that  are  very  severe,  and  the  quanti- 
ties of  liquid  discharged  are  incredibly  large.  Patients 
suffering  in  this  way,  on  going  to  church  for  a  couple  of 


678        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

hours  will  often  need  several  pocket-handkerchiefs,  and 
they  will  all  be  saturated  with  the  excessive  perspiration. 

Tenderness  of  the  spine,  either  in  part  or  through  its 
entire  length,  is  a  well-marked  symptom  of  nervous 
exhaustion.  When  this  tenderness  becomes  excessive,  it 
is  sometimes  called  spinal  irritation.  No  matter  what 
name  you  give  it,  it  has  its  origin  and  source  from  an 
exhausted  condition  of  the  nervous  forces  of  the  system. 
This  is  a  very  common  complaint,  especially  in  large  cities, 
and,  should  you  undertake  to  examine  the  spines  of  all 
the  ladies  who  live  in  the  most  fashionable  avenues  of  the 
city,  you  would  find,  in  a  large  percentage  of  the  subjects 
between  the  ages  of  fifteen  and  fifty,  marked  tenderness 
either  of  the  whole  length  of  the  spine,  or,  more  likely,  at 
certain  spots,  as  between  the  shoulders,  at  the  nape  of  the 
neck,  or  below  the  kidneys.  Such  patients  often  com- 
plain of  crawling,  creeping,  or  burning  sensations  ;  others 
of  tenderness  of  the  shoulder-blades  or  hip-bones,  of  the 
breast-bone,  and,  indeed,  of  the  whole  surface  of  the 
body.  The  pain  of  the  back  is  accompanied  with  peculiar 
manifestations.  There  may  be  a  sense  of  pain  all  along 
the  spine,  yet  no  tenderness.  Conversely,  there  may  be 
found  manifest  tenderness  without  the  patient  having  com- 
plained of  any  pain.  This  condition  will  be  found  on 
examining  any  other  part  of  the  body. 

There  is,  in  some  patients,  a  dead  weight  in  the  loins, 
which  is  a  source  of  great  distress.  It  may  be  brought  on 
or  aggravated  by  undue  physical  exertion.  The  heart,  as 
might  be  expected,  readily  sympathizes  with  this 


SYMPTOMS   AND   CAUSES   OF   NERVE   EXHAUSTION.      6/9 

exhausted  condition  of  the  nervous  system.  The  pulse  is 
irregular,  beating  at  times  fast  and  again  slowly  in  quick 
succession.  These  changes  may  take  place  two  or  three 
times  in  a  minute.  However,  the  pulse  is  generally  fre- 
quent, beating  from  seventy-five  to  over  a  hundred  per 
minute.  Occasionally  the  pulse  becomes  very  slow, 
sometimes  with  palpitation  of  the  heart.  It  is  quite  apt 
to  become  very  irregular  and  irritable,  the  beats  being 
perceptible  and  painful,  and  many  patients,  when  sitting 
quite  still,  are  able  to  count  the  pulsations  of  the  heart, 
manifesting  a  degree  of  suffering  at  every  pulsation.  The 
sight  of  a  stranger  always  puts  the  pulse  up  to  a  greater 
degree  of  frequency,  and  the  very  act  of  examining  it  fre- 
quently sends  it  off  in  the  same  way. 

Local  spasms  of  the  muscles  and  convulsive  movements 
on  going  to  sleep  are  ills  that  trouble  these  nervous  suffer- 
ers. Sometimes  you  will  observe  a  single  muscle  of  the  face 
twitch.  It  maybe  slight,  or  may  become  quite  annoying, 
not  only  to  the  individual  herself,  but  to  her  associates. 
Sometimes  there  is  a  violent  spasm  of  the  muscles  of 
the  limbs  or  body  that  is  almost  painful,  just  as  the 
patient  is  dropping  off  to  sleep,  and  at  times  it  almost 
throws  her  out  of  bed.  A  feeling  of  numbness  in  any 
part  of  the  head  or  limbs  is  a  symptom  of  this  disease, 
and  one  that  frequently  produces  unnecessary  alarm, 
patients  fearing  that  they  are  threatened  with  paralysis  or 
serious  maladies.  The  face,  the  top  of  the  head,  the 
arms,  fingers,  legs,  feet  and  toes  are  the  parts  usually 
affected.  Sometimes  there  are  flying,  stinging,  pricking 


680  MAIDENHOOD   AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

sensations  as  though  pins  were  entering  the  skin  ;  also  an 
unusual  tendency  for  the  feet  and  hands  to  go  to  sleep  on 
a  very  slight  pressure.  Sitting  on  a  hard  chair,  riding  in 
a  street-car,  omnibus  or  carriage  may  cause  the  foot  to  go 
to  sleep  when  it  would  not  have  done  so  in  health. 

Itching,  occurring  without  any  visible  change  in  the 
appea'rance  of  the  skin,  is  a  very  common  experience  in 
this  disease,  and  is  at  times  persistent.  It  may  be  con- 
fined to  a  very  limited  surface  —  the  head  or  face,  the 
arms  or  legs,  or  the  local  seats  of  itching,  and  may  vary 
with  the  general  condition  of  the  system. 

A  sudden  giving  way  of  the  functions  of  the  body, 
which  prostrates  the  patient,  will  be  experienced  at 
times. 

A  patient  at  one  part  of  the  day  may  feel  able  to  get 
about  her  work,  or  walk  a  distance  to  a  neighbor's  ;  at 
another  may  not  feel  able  to  cross  the  street  or  be  out  of 
bed.  Many  of  the  diseases  belonging  to  women  are 
caused  from  this  extreme  nervous  exhaustion.  It  has 
long  been  the  custom  among  physicians  to  attribute  all 
the  nervous  troubles  of  which  women  complain  to  disturb- 
ances of  some  kind  or  other  in  the  uterine  organs.  These 
are  fruitful  sources  of  a  long  and  crooked  line  of  bodily 
and  nervous  ailments.  But  nervous  exhaustion  is  as 
frequently  a  source  of  uterine  complaints,  as  the  derange- 
ments of  the  uterus  and  its  accompanying  organs  are  the 
creators  of  all  that  long  list  of  nervous  affections  that  are 
so  frequently  chronicled  in  the  calls  of  the  daily  practi- 
tioner. 


SYMPTOMS   AND    CAUSES   OF   NERVE    EXHAUSTION.      68 1 

Every  physician  who  has  given  the  cause  of  uterine 
congestion,  displacements  and  inflammation,  and  espe- 
cially uterine  and  ovarian  irritability,  special  thought  cannot 
have  failed  to  observe  that  they  are  the  result  of  unhealthy 
nutrition.  This  unhealthy  nutrition  is  the  result  of  the 
general  unhealthy  condition  of  the  whole  system. 

It  follows,  then,  if  the  reasoning  be  correct,  that  to 
remove  and  remedy  many  of  these  female  diseases  we 
should  strike  our  heaviest  blow  at  the  real  source,  and 
rigidly  apply  such  constitutional  treatment  as  will  tend  to 
restore  the  lost  vitality.  It  should  not  be  understood  that 
the  many  local  appliances  used  to  remedy  disorders  of  the 
female  organs  are  useless.  They  should  be  used  only  as 
auxiliaries  and  not  as  the  principal  factors  of  the  treat- 
ment. 

It  has  long  been  the  custom  of  many  medical  men,  in 
treating  female  weaknesses  by  agents  of  various  kinds,  to 
apply  them  locally  to  the  organ  upon  which  the  disease  is 
manifesting  itself,  without  fully  weighing  all  the  evidence 
in  the  case.  Would  it  not  manifestly  be  more  intelligent 
to  first  determine  whether  the  organ  complained  of  be  in 
a  state  of  disorder,  or  whether  these  symptoms  of  local 
disturbance  be  but  the  reflex  action  of  the  nervous  system, 
and  the  organ  affected  be  remotely  situated  from  the 
apparent  seat  of  the  distress  complained  of  ?  It  would 
certainly  not  be  very  appropriate,  in  cases  of  disturbances 
of  the  digestive  organs,  which  are  frequently  caused 
through  this  reflex  influence  of  the  nerves  in  pregnancy, 
to  attribute  the  vomiting  to  chronic  inflammation  of  the 


682  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

stomach,  and  direct  the  treatment  accordingly.  Yet  this 
is  just  as  rational  and  beneficial  treatment  as  much  of  the 
medication  practiced  by  physicians  for  the  cure  of  many 
of  the  diseases  of  the  organs  of  generation. 

For  example,  a  woman  suffering  from  prolapsus  of  the 
uterus  consults  her  physician  about  the  nature  and  cause 
of  her  ailment.  He  tells  her  that,  on  account  of  the 
relaxed  condition  of  the  muscles  and  ligaments  by  which 
it  is  supported,  it  is  permitted  to  fall  below  its  normal 
position,  and  the  result  is  the  inconvenience  and  suffering 
she  experiences.  "  What  am  I  to  do  ?  I  cannot  get 
about  and  attend  to  my  household  duties. "  He  replies, 
I  will  introduce  a  support,  or  pessary,  which  will  keep 
the  prolapsed  organ  in  its  place,  until  its  natural  sup- 
port is  rested  and  restored  to  its  normal  condition. " 
One  cannot  condemn  unqualifiedly  the  use  of  pessaries  in 
the  treatment  of  displacements  of  the  uterus  ;  but  to  rely 
on  them  to  overcome  the  enfeebled  condition  of  the  natu- 
ral supports  of  the  organ  is  manifestly  insufficient  treat- 
ment, and  cannot  accomplish  the  ends  sought. 

Why  are  the  physical  supports  which  have  been  pro- 
vided by  Nature  to  perform  this  work  so  weakened  and 
relaxed  as  to  be  utterly  unable  to  perform  their  accustomed 
functions  ?  There  is  but  one  rational  answer  that  can  be 
given  to  this  important  question — namely,  want  of 
healthy  nutrition,  which  is  the  primary  cause  of  debility 
in  any  organ  of  the  body.  Hence,  if  we  would  overcome 
the  relaxation  of  these  natural  supports,  it  will  only  be 
effected  by  restoring  a  healthy  nutrition.  This  cannot  be 


SYMPTOMS   AND    CAUSES    OF   NERVE   EXHAUSTION.      683 

accomplished  entirely  through  the  medium  of  rest.  Exer- 
cise is  as  indispensably  necessary  to  health  as  is  rest. 
There  is  no  more  certain  method  of  producing  debility  in 
any  or  all  of  the  organs  of  either  the  mental  or  physical 
man  than  want  of  use.  To  demonstrate  this  requires  the 
merest  casual  observation  ;  compare  the  physical  power 
of  the  individual  who  labors  with  the  one  who  does  not, 
or  the  mental  power  of  the  student  with  that  of  the  person 
who  does  not  use  his  brain.  It  will  be  seen,  then,  that  to 
depend  upon  rest  through  the  medium  of  the  pessary 
alone  would  only  increase  the  debility  instead  of  over- 
coming it. 

Treatment. 

The  treatment  should  aim  to  restore  the  lost  forces  of 
the  system  through  the  medium  of  hygiene,  digestion, 
assimilation  and  medication,  with  proper  attention  to  the 
local  manifestations.  The  adoption  of  any  hobby  or  arbi- 
trary rule,  to  be  followed  with  all  patients,  will  not  accom- 
plish the  end  sought.  As  well  might  the  mariner,  starting 
upon  a  voyage,  undertake  to  set  the  helm  so  as  to  direct 
his  vessel  into  the  objective  port.  He  must  stand  at  the 
wheel  and  accommodate  the  rudder  to  the  shifting  winds 
and  currents.  So  with  the  treatment  of  any  disease.  It 
must  be  varied  so  as  to  be  suitably  adapted  to  all  the 
changes  that  will  develop  in  the  progress  of  restoration. 
There  are  idiosyncrasies  in  every  constitution  that  must  be 
respected. 


684  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

When  one  mode  of  treatment  fails  to  accomplish  the 
desired  end,  another  should  be  adopted.  Notwithstanding 
the  great  number  of  this  class  of  patients,  we  find  no  two 
of  them  exactly  alike  in  every  particular.  As  well  might 
you  undertake  to  find  alike  two  blades  of  striped  grass. 
There  will  be  a  difference  in  the  many  shades.  So  that  if 
two  be  treated  precisely  in  the  same  way,  it  is  very  proba- 
ble that  one  of  them  is  treated  wrong.  A  suspension  of 
treatment  entirely  for  a  period  is  often  attended  with  bene- 
ficial effects. 

Patients  insist  upon  "  doing  something  "  all  the  time, 
but  rest  in  treatment  is  often  like  rest  in  anything  else  —  a 
source  of  much  good.  A  very  noted  character  made  the 
remark  that  success  in  life  depends  on  learning  how 
long  it  takes  to  succeed  ;  but  it  also  frequently  depends  on 
knowing  just  where  to  stop.  So  in  the  practice  of  medicine, 
this  is  certainly  sound  doctrine.  To  know  where  to  stop, 
to  rest,  or  modify  the  treatment,  is  one  of  the  best  tests  of 
medical  skill.  One  great  difficulty  in  the  way  of  patients 
undertaking  to  medicate  themselves  is  their  tendency  to 
overdo  whatever  means  may  be  used,  not  satisfied  unless 
they  are  forever  pouring  something  into  their  stomachs. 
This  disposition  to  be  taking  something  continually  often 
compromises  the  better  judgment  of  their  physician. 
Oftentimes  he  may  feel  as  though  the  best  thing  for  him  to 
do,  at  this  particular  crisis,  is  absolutely  nothing  ;  but 
•knowing  the  feeling  of  the  patient  or  friends  on  this 
point,  he  "  arbitrates  his  judgment,"  and  yields  to  their 
importunity. 


SYMPTOMS   AND    CAUSES   OF   NERVE   EXHAUSTION.      68$ 

But  we  have  intimated  that  hygiene  is  an  important 
element  in  the  successful  treatment  of  nervous  exhaustion. 
This  factor  in  the  practice  of  medicine  is  too  often  over- 
looked, and  is  not  given  that  credit  that  its  importance 
demands.  Skill  and  judgment  are  as  necessary  for  its 
proper  and  successful  administration  as  they  are  in  any 
department  of  medication.  To  vary  it  according  to  the 
physical  condition  of  each  patient  or  of  the  same  patient 
at  different  times  and  in  different  circumstances,  will 
require  the  exercise  of  the  best  judgment  and  experience. 
Some  cases  may  require  quite  vigorous  out-door  exercise  ; 
others  should  only  be  allowed  very  moderate  exercise  ;  on 
others  still,  the  most  absolute  rest  should  be  enjoined. 
There  may  be  a  necessity  for  and  great  benefit  derived  by 
attention  to  exercise  and  rest. 

a  There  is  oftentimes  a  very  practical  mistake  made  in 
shutting  up  some  patients  who  need  exercise,  and  exhort- 
ing others  to  work  and  travel  who  should  be  kept  in  bed. 
Diet,  also,  should  be  varied,  to  meet  the  special  necessities 
of  each  particular  case.  The  theory  of  starvation  that 
has  had  its  advocates  and  worshipers,  to  the  disadvantage 
of  many  sufferers  afflicted  with  some  of  the  phases  of 
nervous  trouble,  is  being  supplanted  by  another  doctrine 
equally  pernicious  in  its  effects.  It  is  that  of  feeding 
patients  beyond  their  powers  of  digestion  and  assimilation. 
Great  care  must  be  exercised  to  accommodate  the  quantity 
and  quality  of  the  food  to  the  absolute  wants  of  the 
patient.  While  some  may  need  to  be  cautioned  and  even 
restricted  in  regard  to  quantity,  others  must  be  coaxed 
and  tempted  to  eat  more  than  is  their  custom. 


686  MAIDENHOOD   AND    MOTHERHOOD. 

Abstaining  from  food  consisting  of  starch  and  sugars, 
or  using  these  substances  but  moderately,  and  supplying 
their  place  by  as  free  use  as  the  stomach  will  allow  of  fats, 
oils,  fish,  oysters,  butter,  and  milk,  is  a  potent  adjunct 
to  the  treatment.  The  great  need,  in  much  of  the 
food  which  is  used  to-day,  is  a  more  liberal  supply  of  fat, 
in  such  form  as  the  stomach  will  digest  and  assimilate. 
Time  was  when  persons  ate  large  quantities  of  fat  meat 
and  greasy  substances  in  boiled  dinners.  Thus,  from  their 
daily  meals,  they  received  all  the  fat  necessary  to  supply 
the  demands  of  the  system,  and  perhaps  more.  But  now 
"  boiled  dinners  "  have  been  dropped  from  the  dietary  and 
poverty  of  the  blood,  "  which  is  the  life"  follows  in  conse- 
quence. If  fats  be  not  an  important  element  in  the 
constructive  process  of  the  animal  economy,  why  do 
patients  suffering  from  some  wasting  disease,  as  consump* 
tion,  uniformly  improve  if  they  can  take  and  assimilate 
oily  emulsions? 

Some  persons  who  live  in  the  cities  and  board  at 
fashionable  hotels  or  boarding-houses,  and  are  accustomed 
to  eat  large  quantities  of  rich,  highly-seasoned  food,  with 
but  little  exercise,  develop  many  symptoms  of  nervous 
exhaustion.  When  they  are  restricted  to  a  more  plain 
and  limited  diet,  with  no  other  treatment,  they  get  well. 
On  the  other  hand,  patients  on  account  of  ailments  such 
as  described,  have  dropped  one  article  after  another  from 
their  diet,  until  they  reduced  it  to  natural  elements  "  bread 
and  water,"  and  maintained  that  even  those  gave  them  dis- 
comfort. On  being  told  that  they  were  starving  them- 


SYMPTOMS    AND    CAUSES    OF    NERVE   EXHAUSTION.      68/ 

selves  they  have  ordered  a  more  liberal  and  general  diet, 
and  soon,  without  any  other  treatment,  have  regained 
their  lost  strength. 

Even  in  cases  of  nervous  dyspepsia  it  is  a  mistake  to 
be  over-rigid  in  diet.  Starvation  of  the  body  increases 
the  very  weakness  of  the  stomach  itself,  and  thus  makes 
the  indigestion  worse,  for  the  stomach  itself  needs 
the  nourishment. 

In  cases  where  the  stomach  is  weak  and  the  exhaustion 
profound,  the  patient  may  be  nourished  through  the 
rectum.  This  can  be  done  by  injections  of  filtrated  blood 
or  by  milk,  or  by  the  juice  of  beef.  Patients  who  have 
been  nourished  and  medicated  in  this  way  for  weeks  gain 
strength  and  get  well.  The  stomach  returns  to  the 
discharge  of  its  accustomed  functions. 

In  some  instances  it  will  be  well  to  try,  for  a  limited 
period  of  time,  a  radical  change  of  food.  A  mixed  diet 
should  be  abandoned,  and  an  entirely  vegetable  one 
substituted.  Beneficial  mental  impressions  are  thus 
effected,  the  sudden  change  giving  stimulus  to  the  nervous 
functions.  A  diet  composed  largely  of  milk,  will  be  found 
invaluable,  especially  in  some  forms  of  nervous  dyspepsia. 
If  it  do  not  seem  to  agree  with  the  stomach,  and  the 
patient  be  disposed  to  belch,  lime-water  may  be  added, 
in  the  proportion  of  one  part  lime-water  and  three  parts 
milk. 

Koumyss  is  comparatively  a  new  remedy  in  this 
country,  and  has  the  double  advantage  of  being  food  for 
the  body  and  a  sedative  to  the  nervous  system.  Its  power 


688        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

to  produce  sleep  is  very  great.  It  is  a  means  of  nourish- 
ing the  body  without  disturbing  or  even  using  the  stomach 
to  any  very  great  degree.  Koumyss  is  really  digested 
milk,  and  is  absorbed  and  taken  up  into  the  system  with- 
out any  special  strain  upon  the  digestive  organs.  It  is 
claimed,  upon  reputable  authority,  that,  from  experiments 
made,  it  was  pretty  clearly  proven  that  the  alcohol  of  the 
koumyss  was  not  eliminated  from  the  system,  but  used  up. 
This  remedy  has  been  used  but  little  perhaps  on  account 
of  ignorance  in  its  manufacture.  A  formula  for  making  it 
is  appended. 

One  quart  of  pure  milk. 

Two  tablespoonfuls  of  sugar  dissolved  in  water  over  a 
fire,  sufficient  only  used  to  make  a  solution. 

One-fourth  of  a  two-cent  cake  of  yeast. 

Put  all  into  a  strong  quart  bottle,  and  let  stand  over 
night  or  for  six  hours  at  a  temperature  of  from  50°  to  90° 
Fahrenheit.  Then  place  in  an  ice-box  to  preserve,  and  it 
is  ready  for  use. 

When  there  is  no  debility  of  the  stomach,  frequent 
feeding  is  oftentimes  beneficial.  Any  kind  of  light, 
nutritious  food  may  be  taken.  The  intervals  may  be 
fifteen  minutes  to  two  hours.  Cases  are  known  where  it 
was  made  the  business  of  an  attendant  to  simply  feed  the 
patient  at  certain  intervals,  varying  them  according  to  the 
result  obtained.  There  is  a  class  of  invalids  who  can 
moderately  exercise  and  keep  on  with  their  business  while 
taking  some  treatment.  They  have  need  to  exercise  much 
care  and  need  to  be  cautioned,  lest  they  overdo  their 


SYMPTOMS  AND   CAUSES   OF  NERVE  EXHAUSTION.      689 

strength.  The  best  rule  to  adopt,  in  all  their  exercise,  is 
to  stop  short  of  much  fatigue. 

There  is  a  time  to  work  and  a  time  to  rest  in  the 
management  of  nervous  diseases.  Some  patients  suffering 
from  irritation  of  the  spine  need  absolute  rest,  and  should 
go  to  bed.  Others,  suffering  only  from  an  overworked 
brain,  would  be  benefited  by  exercise — light  work  for 
both  body  and  brain.  Frequent  change  of  work  is  to  be 
advised.  Steady  activity,  not  in  any  single  direction, 
resting  by  alteration  of  work,  is  advisable. 

Rest  and  isolation  may,  in  some  cases,  be  highly 
advantageous.  Shut  the  patient  up  in  a  room  and  keep 
her  in  bed  and  entirely  free  from  company,  so  that  the 
entire  system  is  rested.  Improvement  in  flesh  is  very 
soon  seen,  and  followed  by  a  corresponding  increase  of 
strength.  Among  the  difficulties  of  this  kind  of  treat- 
ment are  the  prejudices  and  whims  of  friends,  and  the 
apprehension  of  the  patient  herself,  thinking  confinement 
is  more  burdensome  than  it  really  proves  to  be  after  a  fair 
trial.  When  the  arrangements  are  made  and  the  patient 
has  put  herself  under  the  treatment,  she  usually  finds  it 
comparatively  easy,  in  a  short  time  becomes  perfectly 
reconciled  to  her  new  mode  of  life,  and  begins  to  "  fat  up," 
and  with  the  fat  becomes  a  new  life  and  more  strength. 

Nervous  brain -workers  do  not  need  always  to  suspend 
all  brain  labor.  It  is  better,  that  the  mind  be  actively 
though  pleasantly  employed.  This  may  be  proved  from 
men  who  have  given  up  all  brain  work.  They  become 
frequently  the  most  nervous  patients  that  can  be  found. 


690  MAIDENHOOD    AND   MOTHERHOOD. 

When  a  muscle  becomes  weakened  through  disease,  we 
try  to  strengthen  it  through  passive  and  moderately  active 
exercise,  believing  that  thereby  its  nutrition  is  improved. 
The  brain  must  be  governed  by  the  same  law.  The  feeble 
and  tired  brain,  like  the  feeble  and  tired  muscle,  needs  a 
certain  amount  of  exercise.  Intellectual  labor  of  the 
higher  order  frequently  saves  friction  from  the  emotions 
of  the  lower  order,  and  thereby  becomes  a  remedial 
agent. 

It  is  not  to  be  expected  that  mental  treatment  alone  is 
all  that  is  necessary  to  restore  these  nervous  patients  to 
their  accustomed  health.  In  addition  to  all  that  we  have 
said,  due  regard  must  be  given  to  such  agents  as  massage, 
electricity,  and  medication.  No  matter  if  the  mind  be  a 
strong  force,  it  is  not  the  only  force  that  can  be  used  for 
the  control  of  functional  nervous  affections.  Errors  seem 
to  have  arisen  from  the  belief  that  the  symptoms  we 
attribute  to  exhaustion  of  the  nervous  system  are  merely 
imaginary,  and  have  no  real  objective  existence,  and,  that 
they  are  to  be  expelled  by  the  same  influence  —  the 
patient's  own  mind.  We  will  not  undertake  to  deny  that 
the  emotions,  by  long  dwelling  upon  the  body,  may  excite 
various  diseases.  Still,  diseases  so  caused  are  as  real,  as 
serious,  often,  as  diseases  excited  in  any  other  way.  They 
may  need  active  treatment,  and  can  no  more  be  blown 
away  by  a  few  words  of  encouragement  than  can  an 
attack  of  fever. 

The  treatment  by  medication  that  seems  to  be  best 
adapted    to    the   alleviation   of    these    nervous    affections 


SYMPTOMS   AND    CAUSES   OF   NERVE   EXHAUSTION.      691 

should,  of  course,  be  administered  at  the  hand  of  a 
competent  physician.  It  may  be  indicated  in  the  following 
order  : 

Ergot  seems  to  suit  many  patients,  perhaps  on  account 
of  its  power  to  contract  the  blood-vessels,  and  thereby 
overcome  congestion. 

Arsenic  in  various  forms,  though  a  potent  remedy, 
and  to  be  carefully  watched,  is  well  worthy  of  trial. 

Caffeine,  in  some  of  its  preparations,  is  another  remedy 
that  has  been  proved  to  have  a  salutary  effect  under 
depressed  conditions  of  the  system,  sick  headache,  back- 
ache, etc. 

Coca  will  be  found  a  very  sustaining  tonic  in  abstain- 
ing from  food  and  relieves  the  pain  and  uneasiness  that 
follow  over-exertion. 

The  preparations  of  zinc,  particularly  the  bromide 
valerianate  and  oxide  are  valuable  sedatives. 

The  bromides  generally  are  useful.  Bromide  of  potas- 
sium has  perhaps  been  used  to  excess,  and  thereby  abused, 
as  any  remedy  may  be. 

Nux  vomica,  or  strychnia,  in  many  cases,  does  much 
good.  It  is  well  to  use  it  with  other  remedies,  as 
quinia. 

The  mineral  acids  are  old  remedies.  They  have  not 
lost  caste,  and  are  still  good. 

Electricity  is  well  worthy  of  a  place  among  the  agents 
used  for  nervous  patients.  It  should  have  a  fair  trial. 
Baths  should  not  be  neglected,  as  they  certainly  are 
important  auxiliaries  in  the  treatment.  Massage  is  an 


692        MAIDENHOOD  AND  MOTHERHOOD. 

excellent  adjunct  to  other  treatment,  especially  with  those 
persons  who  cannot  take  exercise.  It  should  be  system- 
atic. This  is  performed  in  four  general  ways  : 

1.  Simply  pinching  the  skin.     This  is  done  all  over  the 
body. 

2.  Pinching   the    muscles.     This   is   done    with   both 
hands,    which   grasp    deeply  as    much  of  the   muscle    as 
possible.     The  hands  should  be  well  oiled. 

3.  Tapping  and  beating,  or  percussion.    The  body  may 
be  gently  hammered  with  the  hand,  pleximeter,  fingers,  or 
balls.     This  method  has  the  advantage  of  sending  vibra- 
tions to  parts  remote  from  the  first  point  touched. 

4.  Passive   movements  of  the  joints      All   the  joints 
in  the  body  or  limbs  are  moved  backward  and  forward, 
and  rotated  each  a  number  of  times. 

The  effects  of  massage  when  thoroughly  performed 
and  carried  out  are  highly  beneficial,  quickening  and 
equalizing  the  circulation,  producing  a  quieting  effect, 
promoting  sleep  and  giving  relief  from  pain,  and  that 
miserable  nervous  condition  worse  than  pain.  The  bowels 
should  be  thoroughly  kneaded,  especially  in  constipation, 
and  in  displacements  of  the  uterus  and  diseases  of  the 
stomach  and  liver.  Farther  directions  in  this  method  of 
treatment  are  given  in  another  part  of  this  work. 


INDEX. 


A 

PAGE. 

Abdomen,  changes  in,  during  pregnancy 417 

Abdominal  pains  during  pregnancy,  causes  of 570 

Abortion,  deaths  from „ 400 

Abortion,  methods  of  producing 395 

Abortion  the  greatest  of  crimes 391 

Accidental  dysmenorrhea „ 207 

Accomplishments  of  the  maiden 245 

Acquirement  of  polite  accomplishments,  purpose  of. 250 

Acute  suppression  of  the  menses 191 

Adolescence 175 

After-pains  in  child-birth 593 

Age  of  puberty 178 

Air  and  light  of  the  nursery 55 

Air  space  required  in  lying-in  sick-room 5*° 

Amenorrhea,  or  suppression  of  the  menses 188 

Amusements,  physically  and  mentally 141 

Anteversion,  causes  of 653 

Aphonia,  or  loss  of  voice 227 

Appetite  a  sign  of  pregnancy 422 

Application  of"  the  bandage." 23 

Approach  of  the  menses,  evidence  of 176 

Artificial  nursing,  effects  of 68 

Atmospheric  causes  of  disease 6 561 

Atrophy  —  or  undeveloped  ovaries ...,.  n  ,,.,,,,.,..,. 662 

B 

Bandage  after  confinement,  how  applied 23 

Barrenness '. 402 

Barrenness,  causes  of 406 

Bathing  in  cold  water 30 

Bathing  infant,  proper  time  for 28 

Bathing  of  the  infant 25 

Bathing  the  infant,  condition  of  water  in 28 

Baching  the  infant  improperly,  effect  of 29 

693 


694  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Bathing,  use  of  soap  in 27 

Bed-chamber,  furniture  in 338 

Bed-chamber  of  a  parturient  woman 511 

Bed-chamber,  requisites  of 337 

Bed-chamber,  size  of 456 

Bed-chamber,  the  model 338 

Bed-chamber,  ventilation  of 338 

Bed-clothing,  cleanliness  of 513 

Bed,  clothing  of , , 512 

Bed-clothing,  necessity  of  airing 39 

Bed,  constituents  of  a  good 341 

Bed-coverings,  proper  care  of 342 

Bed,  location  of 512 

Bed,  number  of  days  to  keep  the , 508 

Bed,  preparation  to  leave 508 

Bed,  the 340 

Birthmarks 466 

Bowels,  laxative  for  moving  the 509 

Bowels,  treatment  of 504 

Breasts,  changes  in,  during  pregnancy 416 

Business  qualifications  of  the  husband 291 

c 

Carbonic  acid  gas 338 

Care  of  the  teeth 83 

Causes  for  limitation  of  offspring 376 

Causes  of  disease 558 

Causes  of  disease,  atmospheric 561 

Causes  of  disease  in  general 555 

Causes  of  dysmenorrhea 204 

Causes  of  functional  disorders 187 

Causes  of  hysteria 222 

Cause  of  irritations  and  eruptions  on  infants 26 

Causes  of  nervous  exhaustion 671 

Causes  of  piles 585 

Cessation  of  menses 536 

Cessation  of  menses  a  law  of  nature 542 

Celibacy 547 

Celibacy,  advantages  of , 549 

Celibacy,  disadvantages  of 55 J 

Celibacy,  social  advantages  of. 55° 

Ceremony  of  the  wedding 300 

Chafing,  causes  and  treatment  of 99 


INDEX.  695 

PAGE. 

Change  oflife ' 535 

Change  of  life  a  law  of  nature 542 

Change  of  life,  incidents  attending 537 

Change  of  life,  physical  and  mental  disturbances  caused  by 538 

Change  of  life,  treatment  during 540 

Changes  wrought  by  puberty 175 

Child-bed  fever,  nature  of 610 

Child-birth,  after-pains  in 593 

Child,  bowels  of 504 

Child,  conditions  of  the  mind  of  the 131 

Child,  diet  of 120 

Child,  errors  in  diet  of  the 119 

Child,  food  of  the 1 19 

Childhood,  innocent  pleasures  of 141 

Child,  influence  of  digestive  process  on  the  mind  of  the 131 

Child,  proper  indulgence  of  the 150 

Child  to  breast,  putting  the 503 

Children,  blessing  to  a  home 363 

Children,  twins,  triplets,  etc. ,  at  a  birth 432 

Child,  unnatural  developments 463 

Child,  what  may  be  known  before  birth  of  the 428 

Chlorosis 213 

Chlorosis,  time  of  occurrence 214 

Chorea,  or  St.  Vitus'  dance 215 

Chorea,  or  St.  Vitus'  dance,  treatment  of 218 

Chorea,  symptoms  of. 216 

Chronic  inflammation  of  the  womb,  treatment  of 641 

Clavus  hystericus 230 

Cleanliness,  importance  of 506 

Clothing,  change  of  the 507 

Clothing  of  infants 31 

Clothing  of  new-born  infant 22 

Coition,  debilitating  effect  of 349 

Colds,  causes  and  treatment  of 102 

Cold  water  bath  for  children 30 

Colic,  menstrual. . '. 177 

Commencement  of  menstruation 178 

Complications  resulting  from  whooping-cough 109 

Conception,  effects  of  vaginal  injection  to  prevent 400 

Conception,  evil  effects  of  preventives  of 390 

Conception  not  possible  at  certain  period 386 

Conception  not  possible  during  lactation 385 

Conception,  preventives  of 388 

Conception,  use  and  effect  of  means  to  prevent 400 

Condom,  effects  of  the  use  of 400 


696  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Confinement,  articles  of  dress  for , 477 

Confinement,  attendants  during,  hints  for 481 

Confinement,  bandage  for 477 

Confinement,  child's  clothing 478 

Confinement,  preparations  for 477 

Confinement,  proportions  of  bandage  for 477 

Confinement,  temporary  dressing  of  the  bed  during 481 

Confinement,  the  bed  for •. ' 480 

Confinement,  the  rooms  in 479 

Congestive  dysmenorrhea 207 

Congress,  painful 358 

Conjugal  faithfulness „ 347 

Conjugal  love  essential 348 

Consanguinity  to  be  considered  in  marriage 271 

Constipation 57° 

Constipation,  causes  of 572 

Constipation  of  pregnancy 415 

Constipation,  treatment  of 573 

Constipation,  treatment  of,  by  dietetical  method 573 

Constipation,  treatment  of,  by  medicinal  means 574 

Constipation,  treatment  of,  by  Swedish  movement  cure 576 

Continence  a  virtue 369 

Contract  of  marriage,  importance  of 311 

Convulsions,  hysterical 226 

Convulsions  of  infants,  causes  of 86 

Convulsions  of  infants,  treatment  of 87 

Convulsions,  puerperal,  symptoms  and  causes  of 607 

Convulsions,  puerperal,  treatment  of. 608 

Costiveness  of  infants,  causes  and  treatment  of , 91 

Costiveness,  treatment  of 510 

Courtship,  deception  practiced  during 266 

Courtship,  purpose  of 253,  262 

Covering  of  new-born  infant,  how  to  remove 22 

Cow's  milk  for  infants,  how  prepared 48 

Creative  power  belongs  to  woman ,. 352 

Croup,  kinds,  symptoms  and  treatment  of 104 

Crying  of  infant,  causes  of 50 

D 

Danger  in  weaning,  sources  of 65 

Dangers  of  feeding  children 68 

Death  of  husband,  influence  of  upon  wife 543 

Death  rate  among  children,  cause  of 349 


INDEX.  697 

PAGE. 

Deaths  from  abortion 400 

Definition  of  disease 556 

Definition  of  health 557 

Deformities,  how  to  prevent 518 

Derangement  of  menstruation,  diseases  from 213 

Diaper,  how  to  apply 24 

Diarrhea,  causes  of 581 

Diarrhea  during  pregnancy 415 

Diarrhea,  treatment  of 582 

Dicrotic  pulse  explained. 564 

Diet  at  the  age  of  puberty •. 183 

Dietetical  method  of  treating  constipation 573 

Diet  for  mother 521 

Diet  for  the  pregnant 416 

Diet  of  the  mother  after  child-birth 505 

Diphtheria,  symptoms  of  the  disease 95 

Diphtheria,  treatment  of 96 

Disease,  ascertained  causes  of 560 

Disease,  atmospheric  causes  of 561 

Disease  caused  by  certain  vocations 561 

Disease  caused  by  excessive  sleep 562 

Disease  caused  by  mental  toil 562 

Disease,  definition  of 556 

Disease,  examples  of  symptoms  of 567 

Disease,  general  causes  of; 135 

Disease,  how  may  be  averted 559 

Disease  in  general,  causes  of 555 

Disease,  "predisposing  causes"  of 559 

Disease,  principal  causes  of 558 

Diseases  caused  by  intemperate  habits 561 

Diseases  from  derangement  of  menstruation 213 

Diseases  of  infancy 84 

Diseases  of  the  vulva 625 

Diseases  of  the  vulva,  treatment  of 626 

Diseases  of  women 553 

Disease,  variety  of  causes  of 560 

Disorders  of  the  uterus 646 

Displacement  of  the  ovaries 661,  663 

Displacement  of  the  womb,  causes  of 648 

Displacement  of  the  womb,  treatment  for 655 

Divorce 316 

Dress,  errors  in,  causes  of  disease 139 

Dress,  importance  of 161 

Dress  of  infant 26 

Dysmenorrhea,  accidental 207 


698  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Dysmenorrhea,  causes  of 204 

Dysmenorrhea,  congestive 207 

Dysmenorrhea,  hygiene  of 210 

Dysmenorrhea,  inflammatory 208 

Dysmenorrhea,  obstructive 208 

Dysmenorrhea,  or  painful  menstruation 203 

Dysmenorrhea,  simple 206 

Dysmenorrhea,  symptoms  of 204 

E 

Earache,  cause  and  treatment  of 98 

Eczema,  form  of 632 

Eczema  of  the  labia,  treatment  of 637 

Eczema,  treatment  of 634 

Education  of  the  young  woman,  purpose  of 247 

Effect  of  improper  bathing  of  infant 29 

Electrical  treatment  for  nervous  exhaustion 691 

Enlarged  veins,  treatment  of 589 

Engagement  of  marriage,  when  to  make 252 

Engagements,  breaking  of 255 

Engagements,  long  and  short 254 

Epoch,  the  new 331 

Eruptions  and  irritations  on  infants,  causes  of 26 

Evidence  of  the  approach  of  the  menses 1 76 

Evil  effects  of  preventives  of  conception 390 

Excessive  menstruation,  or  menorrhagia 197 

Excess,  physical  and  moral  effects 354 

Exercise  at  the  age  of  puberty 183 

Exercise  of  the  infant 41 

Exhaustion  from  disturbed  menstruation 237 

Exhaustion  of  nervous  system,  treatment  for 683 

Exhaustion  of  the  nervous  system 667 

Exhaustion,  treatment  for 239 

Expectation  of  offspring 362 

Extent  to  which  offspring  should  be  limited 376 

F 

Fashion,  influence  of 164 

Feather  beds 340 

Feather  beds,  objections  to 342 

Feeding  children,  dangers  of 68 

Feeding  infant,  proper  times  for 52 


INDEX.  699 

PAGE. 

Feeding  or  nursing  infants ." 43 

Feeding  infant  to  excess,  effect  of 59 

First  sight,  love  at 256 

Filial  love 279 

Filiform  pulse  explained 564 

Follicular  inflammation  of  the  vulva,  nature  and  treatment  of 628 

Food  for  infant  after  weaning,  kind  of 64 

Food  of  infants 47 

Food  of  parturient  women 514 

Food  of  school-girls 134 

Fresh  air  in  living-rooms 339 

Frugality  of  the  husband , 288 

Q 

\ 

Gaseous  pulse  explained 564 

General  appearance  of  pregnant  women 420 

General  exhaustion  from  disturbed  menstruation 237 

Genitals,  pruritis  of 629 

Government,  discipline  of 166. 

Government  of  childhood 165 

Government,  undue  severity  in 169 

Government,  when  to  begin 168 

H 

Habits  on  puberty,  influence  of 181 

Hair  of  parturient  women,  dressing  of 513 

Hard  pulse  explained 564 

Health,  definition  of 557 

Heart-burn  during  pregnancy 421 

Hemlock  boughs,  use  of 343 

Hemorrhage  after  delivery 495 

Hemorrhage  after  delivery,  premonitions  of 496 

Hemorrhage  after  delivery,  treatment  of 496 

Hemorrhages,  accidental,  take  place  when 495 

Hemorrhages,  treatment  of 495 

Hemorrhoids  or  piles,  symptoms  of 584 

Heritage  of  children 363 

Home,  blessing  of  children  to  the 363 

Husband  and  wife,  relations  of 343 

Husband  and  wife,  privileges  of 340 

Husband,  how  to  select 270 

Husband,  physical  constitution  of 273 


700  INDEX. 

PAGE 

Husband,  qualifications  of 276 

Hygiene  of  Dysmenorrhea. 210 

Hygiene  of  infancy 20 

Hygiene  of  suppressed  menses 194 

Hygienic  treatment  of  menorrhagia 201 

Hypertrophy  or  enlarged  ovaries 662 

Hysteria 219 

Hysteria,  causes  of 222 

Hysteria,  characteristics  of 231 

Hysteria,  manifestations  of : . . .  219 

Hysteria,  simple 228 

Hysteria,  treatment  of 231 

Hysterical  convulsions ,. 226 

I 

Immoral  practices,  duty  of  parents  in  reference  to 156 

Immoral  practices  received  from  playmates  and  nurses 155 

Immoral  practices,  what  shall  be  done 1 56 

Importance  of  the  teeth 81 

Important  office  of  the  menses . . .  185 

Improper  bathing  of  infant,  effect  of 29 

Improper  methods  of  limiting  offspring 387 

Incidents  attending  change  of  life 537 

Indigestion  during  pregnancy 414 

Indulgences,  sexual,  proper  and  improper 348 

Industry  of  the  husband 288 

Infancy,  diseases  of 84 

Infancy,  hygiene  of 20 

Infant,  bathing  of 25 

Infant,  causes  of  crying  of 50 

Infant,  delicate  organism  of 18 

Infant,  dress  of 26 

Infant,  first  clothing  of 22 

Infant,  first  washing  of : 22 

Infant,  how  to  remove  mucous  covering  of 22 

Infant  learning  to  walk 117 

Infant,  proper  time  to  sleep 37 

Infant,  regularity  of  sleep  required  by 36 

Infants,  causes  of  irritations  and  eruptions  on 26 

Infants,  clothing  of 31 

Infants,  feeding  or  nursing  of 43 

Infants,  food  of. ...    47 

Infant,  sleep  required  by 35>  37 


INDEX.  /OI 

PAGE. 

Infant,  temperature  of  water  in  bathing 28 

Infant,  time  for  bathing , 28 

Infant,  what  it  is 17 

Infant,  what  it  may  be  become 17 

Infant,  weaning  of „ 61 

I  nflammation  of  ovaries,  treatment  of 667 

Inflammation  of  the  vulva,  treatment  of 628 

Inflammation  of  the  womb,  treatment  of 639 

Inflammatory  dysmenorrhea 208 

Influence  of  habits  on  puberty 181 

Influence  of  race  on  menstruation 180 

Influence  of  temperament  on  puberty 181 

Influence  of  the  death  of  husband  upon  wife 543 

Inheritance,  diseases  of , 459 

Inheritance,  influence  of 459 

Inheritance,  influence  of  each  parent  over 459 

Inheritance  of  disease 19 

Inheritance  of  personal  qualities 460 

Inheritance  of  physical  characteristics 18 

Inheritance  of  physical  qualities 461 

Insanity  of  lactation 602 

Insanity  of  pregnancy 599 

Insanity,  puerperal 600 

Insanity,  puerperal,  treatment  of 604 

Insomnia,  treatment  of 590 

Intellectual  changes  in  puberty 176 

Intemperate  habits  the  cause  of  disease 561 

Intermittent  pulse  explained ,  5^4 

Inward  fevers,  symptoms,  kinds  and  treatment  of 610 

Irritations  and  eruptions  on  infants,  causes  of 26 

J 

Jealousy  of  the  husband »-.. .  295 

Jerking  pulse  explained 5^5 

K 

Kindness  of  the  husband 280 

Kinds  of  pulse 563 

L 

I^abor,  attention  necessary  to  be  given  mother  and  child  during 491 

Labor,  how  to  calculate  time  of 482 

Labor,  indications  of  tedious 484 


EOFA- 


702  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Labor,  signs  of  approaching 483 

Labor,  symptoms  of. 483 

Labor,  third  stage  of 488 

Lactation,  insanity  of 602 

Learning  to  walk 117 

Leucorrhea,  nature  of. 614 

Leucorrhea  or  "  whites,"  causes  of 616 

Leucorrhea,  treatment  of 619 

Life  production,  order  of 348 

Light  and  air  of  the  nursery 55 

Limitation  must  be  conceded 375 

Limitation  of  offspring 365 

Limitation  of  offspring  prompted  by  pure  motives 372 

Limiting  offspring,  improper  methods  of 387 

Limiting  offspring,  proper  methods  of 380 

Local  spasms 679 

Lochia,  nature  of 595 

Love  at  first  sight 256 

Love  defined 258 

M 

Maiden,  accomplishments  of 245 

Maiden,  her  province  in  society 247 

Maiden,  mental  and  physiological  changes  of 242 

Maiden,  ornamentation  in  dress  of 246 

Maiden,  the 241 

Maiden-wife,  embarrassment  of 345 

Manifestations  of  hysteria 219 

Marital  relations  and  privileges 343 

Marriage  a  serious  step 33 1 

Marriage  ceremony 300 

Marriage-chamber,  the 337 

Marriage,  consanguinity  to  be  considered  in 271 

Marriage  contract,  its  importance 311 

Marriage,  effect  of  on  the  health 314 

Marriage  engagements,  when  to  make 252 

Marriage,  peculiar  duties  attending 348 

Marriage,  proper  age  for 269 

Marriage,  second  time 319 

Marry,  right  time  to 298 

Maternal  love , 363 

Mattresses 340 

Mature  womanhood 535 

•^BJJCr, 


INDEX.  703 

PAGE. 

Medical  treatment  of  menorrhagia 202 

Melancholia,  nature  of.    603 

Membranous  dysmenorrhea 208 

Mennorhagia,  hygienic  treatment  of 201 

Menorrhagia,  medical  treatment  of 202 

Menorrhagia,  or  excessive  menstruation 197 

Menses,  accidental  suppression  of 189 

Menses,  acute  suppression  of 191 

Menses,  cessation  of 536 

Menses,  cessation  of,  a  law  of  nature 542 

Menses,  constitutional  suppression  of. 189 

Menses,  evidence  of  the  approach  of 176 

Menses,  important  office  of 185 

Menses,  regularity  of , 186 

Menses,  suppressed,  hygiene  of 194 

Menses,  suppressed,  treatment  of 195 

Menses,  suppression  of 188 

Menses,  symptoms  of  suppression  of 192 

Menses,  time  of 184 

Menses,  variations  in  time  of 185 

Menstrual  colic 177 

Menstrual  colic,  treatment  of 177 

Menstruation 178 

Menstruation,  painful,  causes  of 204 

Menstruation,  commencement  of 178 

Menstruation,  diseases  from  derangement  of 213 

Menstruation,  disturbed,  general  exhaustion  from 237 

Menstruation,  influence  of  race  on 180 

Menstruation,  while  nursing,  influence  of 522 

Menstruation,  painful 203 

Menstruation,  period  of 176 

Menstruation,  process  of 186 

Mental  and  physiological  changes  of  the  maiden 242 

Methods  of  limiting  offspring 380 

Milk  fever  and  sore  breasts,  nature  of 623 

Milk  fever,  treatment  of 624 

Milk,  directions  for  arresting  secretion  of 528 

Milk,  influence  of  diet  on 530 

Milk,  influence  of  mind  on 523 

Milk-leg,  causes  and  treatment  of 596 

Milk,  mother's,  effect  of  anger  on 523 

Milk,  over-abundance  of 529 

Milk,  scantiness  of 531 

Milk,  to  overcome  suppression  of 533 

Mind,  affections  of  during  pregnancy 423 


704  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Miscarriage 468 

Miscarriage,  causes  of 47 1 

Miscarriage,  influence  of  age  of  mother  on 468 

Miscarriage,  symptoms  of 472 

Miscarriage,  treatment  of 473 

Miscarriage,  when  most  likely  to  occur 469 

Modesty,  crowning  beauty  in  woman 340 

Moral  aspect  of  the  subject  of  dual  conception 439 

Morality  of  the  husband 296 

Moral  training  of  child 144 

Moral  1  raining  of  child,  when  to  commence , 149 

Morning  sickness  and  vomiting 567 

Morning  sickness  from  pregnancy,  treatment  of 569 

Mother,  condition  of  after  child-birth 502 

Mother,  feelings  of,  with  first-born  child „ 501 

Mother,  responsibility  of 501 

Mother's  milk,  influence  of  diet  on 520 

Mother,  the 501 

Multiply  and  increase,  meaning  of 373 

N 

Nausea  and  vomiting  of  pregnancy 568 

Nausea  from  pregnancy,  treatment  of 569 

Nervous  affection 423 

Nervous  exhaustioti 668 

Nervous  exhaustion,  causes  and  symptoms  of 671 

Nervous  exhaustion,  treatment  for 683 

New  wife  ignorant  of  sex 355 

Nipples,  care  of,  during  pregnancy 455 

Nipples,  care  of,  while  nursing 518 

Nipples,  development  of 504 

Nipples,  how  to  harden 455 

Nose-bleed,  how  to  stop 100 

Nourishment  in  artificial  nursing,  how  administered 70 

Nourishment  in  artificial  nursing,  kind  of 69 

Nurse,  qualifications  of 524 

Nursery,  its  arrangement,  situation  and  management 53 

Nursery,  light  and  air  of 55 

Nursery,  regular  temperature  of 59 

Nursery,  surroundings  of 56 

Nursing,  care  of  health  during 516 

Nursing,  diseases  of 517 

Nursing,  frequency  of „ 518 


INDEX.  705 

PAGE. 

Nursing  infant,  proper  times  for. 52 

Nursing  or  feeding  infants 43 

Nursing,  regular  periods  for 50 

Nursing,  when  proper 517 

0 

Objections  to  feather  beds , 342 

Obstructive  Dysmenorrhea 208 

Offspring 360 

Offspring,  expectation  of 362 

Offspring,  improper  methods  of  limiting 387 

Offspring,  limitation  of , 376 

Offspring  limited,  to  what  extent 376 

Offspring,  proper  methods  of  limiting 380 

Offspring,  should  it  be  limited 365 

Onanism,  evil  effects  of 402 

Out-door  exercise  of  the  child,  extent  of 43 

Ovarian  displacements,  treatment  of 664 

Ovaries,  examination  of 661 

Ovaries,  displacement  of 661 

Ovarian  displacement,  symptoms  of 663 

Ovaries,  treatment  of  inflammation  of 667 

Overfeeding  after  weaning,  results  of 66 

Overheated  nursery,  effect  of 60 

Overproduction 366 

Over-rich  diet  after  weaning,  results  of 66 

P 

Painful  congress 358 

Painful  congress,  derangement  consequent  upon 359 

Painful  menstruation,  or  dysmenorrhea 203 

Pains  in  abdomen  during  pregnancy,  causes  of , 570 

Period  of  menstruation 1 76 

Period  of  teething 73,  79 

Periods  of  sterility 404 

Peritoneal  fever,  nature  of 6ia 

Phlegmasia  dolens,  or  milk-leg 596 

Physical  and  moral  effects  of  excess 354 

Physical  injuries 354 

Physiological  and  mental  changes  of  the  maiden 242 

Piles,  causes  of 585 

Piles  or  hemorrhoids,  symptoms  of 584 


INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Piles,  treatment  of 586 

Placenta  prsevia,  treatment  of 497 

Position  of  mother  while  nursing 504 

Position  of  the  mother 506 

"  Predisposing  causes  "of  disease 559 

Pregnancy , 409 

Pregnancy,  can  a  woman  become  pregnant  during 434 

Pregnancy,  cessation  from  marital  intercourse  during 475 

Pregnancy,  clothing  during 447 

Pregnancy,  company  during 457 

Pregnancy,  conditions  necessary  to 410 

Pregnancy,  diseases  of 412 

Pregnancy,  duration  of 424 

Pregnancy,  effect  of,  on  the  health 442 

Pregnancy,  exercise  during. . « 450 

Pregnancy,  fancies  of 458 

Pregnancy,  food  during 446 

Pregnancy,  gratification  of  fancies  during 458 

Pregnancy,  hygiene  of 442 

Pregnancy,  influence  of 521 

Pregnancy,  influence  on  the  milk  of  nursing  mother 521 

Pregnancy,  nausea  and  vomiting  from 568 

Pregnancy,  pains  in  bowels  during 570 

Pregnancy,  relation  of  husband  and  wife  during 474 

Pregnancy,  surroundings  during  ; 444 

Pregnancy,  symptoms  of 411 

Pregnancy,  ventilation  of  sleeping-room  during 454 

Preserving  the  teeth 83 

Preventives  of  conception 388 

Principal  causes  of  disease 558 

Process  of  menstruation 186 

Prolapsus  of  the  uterus 652 

Proper  indulgence , 150 

Proper  methods  of  limiting  offspring 380 

Proper  time  to  marry 298 

Pruritis  of  the  genitals 629 

Pruritis  of  the  genitals,  treatment  of 630 

Puberty 175 

Puberty,  age  of 178 

Puberty  attended  with  dangers  to  health 182 

Puberty,  definition  of 175 

Puberty,  diet  at  the  age  of 183 

Puberty,  exercise  at  the  age  of 183 

Puberty,  intellectual  changes  in 176 

Puberty,  signs  of 176 


INDEX.  7q| 

PAGE. 

Puerperal  convulsions,  symptoms  and  causes  of. 607 

Puerperal  convulsions,  treatment  of t 608 

Puerperal  fever,  nature  of 610 

Puerperal  insanity  (proper) 6co 

Puerperal  insanity,  treatment  of 604 

Puerperal  mania  ....'....., 598 

Puerperal  peritonitis,  nature  of 610 

Pulse,  various  kinds  of <, 563 

Purity  of  the  husband 281 

Q 

Qualifications  of  a  husband 276 

Quickening,  as  a  sign  of  pregnancy 418 

Quickening,  flatulence  mistaken  for 419 

Quickening,  time  of ~. 418 

Quick  pulse  explained 565 

R 

Regularity  of  the  menses , 186 

Relation  of  husband  and  wife  during  nursing 534 

Religion  of  the  husband 296 

Religious  training,  distinction  between  right  and  wrong 173 

Religious  training,  doing  wrong,  disastrous,  etc 173 

Religious  training,  shunning  wrong 1 73 

Religious  training,  when  to  commence 173 

Remedies  for  irritability  during  dentation 76 

Reproductive  period  of  woman's  life 536 

Rest 340 

Rest  after  delivery 503 

Retroversion,  nature  of 654 

Rocking  the  infant 40 

s 

St.  Vitus'  Dance,  chorea,  treatment  of 218 

St.  Vitus'  dance,  or  chorea 215 

St.  Vitus'  dance,  symptoms  of 216 

Second  dentation 80 

Second  vaccination,  necessity  of 117 

Sex,  how  to  determine  whether  boy  or  girl 441 

Sex,  ignorance  of 355 

Sex  of  child,  how  to  predict  before  birth 440 


708  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Sexual  commerce  among  lower  animals 349 

Sexual  commerce  among  savages 349 

Sexual  gratification 350 

Sexual  gratification,  theories  concerning 350 

Sexual  indulgences,  proper  and  improper 348 

Sex,  what  may  be  known  of  the 440 

Should  offspring  be  limited  ? 365 

Sickness,  morning,  and  vomiting 567 

Sickness,  morning,  treatment  of 569 

Simple  dysmenorrhea 206 

Simple  hysteria 228 

Sleep 340 

Sleeping  infant,  how  to  arrange  cot  of 35 

Sleeplessness  of  children 38 

Sleep  required  by  infant 35 

Small  pulse  explained 565 

Soap  in  bathing,  effect  of  use  of 27 

Sore  breasts  and  milk  fever,  nature  of 623 

Sore  eyes,  treatment  of 98 

Sore  mouth  of  infants,  causes  of 89 

Sore  mouth  of  infants,  treatment  of 90 

Sounds  of  foetal  heart 420 

Sponge  mattresses 342 

Sterility,  causes  of 406 

Sterility  during  lactation 404 

Sterility,  periods  of 404 

Subsequent  marriage 319 

Sunshine  in  the  nursery,  effect  of 58 

Suppressed  menses,  hygiene  of 194 

Suppression  of  menses 188 

Suppression  of  the  menses,  accidental 189 

Suppression  of  the  menses,  causes  of 189 

Suppression  of  the  menses,  constitutional 189 

Symptoms  of  acute  suppression  of  the  menses 192 

Symptoms  of  chorea,  or  St.  Vitus'  dance 216 

Symptoms  of  dysmenorrhea 204 

Symptoms  of  nervous  exhaustion 671 

Symptoms  of  ovarian  displacement 663 

Symptoms  of  prolapsus  of  uterus 652 

Swedish  movement  cure  for  constipation 576 

T 

Tea,  effects  of,  on  infants 45 

Teeth,  care  of 83 


INDEX.  709 

PAGE. 

Teeth,  classified 78 

Teeth,  development  of 78 

Teething,  age  of  infant 75 

Teething,  first  stage 75 

Teeth,  importance  of Si 

Teething,  period  of 73,  79 

Teething,  second  stage  of 75 

Temperament,  influence  of,  on  puberty 181 

Temperate  habits  of  the  husband 285 

Temperature  of  nursery 59 

Temperature  of  water  in  bathing  the  infant 28 

Tense  pulse  explained 565 

Time  for  bathing  infant 28 

Time  of  weaning 61 

Time  to  marry 

Toothache  during  pregnancy 4- 

Treatment  during  change  of  life 540 

Treatment  for  displacements  of  the  womb 655 

Treatment  for  general  exhaustion 239 

Treatment  for  nervous  exhaustion 683 

Treatment  for  ovarian  displacements 664 

Treatment  of  chorea  or  St.  Vitus'  dance 218 

Treatment  of  constipation  by  Swedish  movement  cure 576 

Treatment  of  convulsions  of  infants 87 

Treatment  of  diseases  of  the  vulva 626 

Treatment  of  hysteria 231 

Treatment  of  leucorrhea 619 

Treatment  of  menstrual  colic 177 

Treatment  of  puerperal  convulsions 608 

Treatment  of  puerperal  insanity 604 

Treatment  of  sore  mouth  of  infants 90 

Treatment  of  suppressed  menstruation , , , . , 195 

u 

Unhappy  marriages,  some  causes  of 265 

Urinary  troubles  with  infants,  treatment  of 101 

Uterus,  general  disorders  of 646 

Uterus,  prolapsus  of .. ., 652 

V 

Vaccination,  how  the  operation  is  performed 115 

Vaccination  of  children,  proper  time  for 112 


710  INDEX. 

PAGE. 

Vaccination,  present  method  of 1 14 

Vaccination  the  second  time,  necessity  of 117 

Vaginal  discharges,  nature  of 595 

Vaginal  injection  to  prevent  conception,  effects  of 400 

Variations  in  time  of  the  menses 185 

Varicose,  or  enlarged  veins 588 

Varicose  veins,  treatment  of 589 

Various  kinds  of  pulse 563 

Version,  conditions  for  performing 498 

Vertigo,  nature  of 672 

Ventilation  of  the  nursery 58 

Virginity,  test  of 346 

Vomiting  and  morning  sickness 567 

Vomiting  from  pregnancy,  treatment  of 569 

Vulva,  diseases  of 625 

w 

Wakefulness,  treatment  of 590 

Washing  of  new-born  infant 22 

Water  in  bathing  the  infant,  temperature  of 28 

Weaning  infant  gradually 63 

Weaning  of  the  infant 61 

Weaning,  sources  of  danger  in 65 

Wedding,  arrangements  for 300 

Wedding,  ceremony  of 300 

Wedding  tour 308 

Wet-nurse,  how  to  select 66,  527 

Wet-nurse,  requisites  of 66 

Wet-nursing,  method  of  raising  children  by 525 

"  Whites,"  or  leucorrhea,  nature  of 614 

"  Whites,"  or  leucorrhea,  treatment  of 619 

Whooping-cough,  complications  resulting  from 109 

Whooping-cough,  duration  of 108 

Whooping-cough,  nature  of 106 

Whooping-cough,  treatment  of 109 

Wife,  influence  of  death  of  husband  upon 543 

Wife,  new,  ignorant  of  sex 355 

Wife,  the 331 

Wife,  the  new  epoch 331 

Wiry  pulse  explained 5^5 

Woman  a  home  maker 332 

Womanhood,  mature,  general  remarks 535 

Woman's  life,  reproductive  period  of , , , , , , , $3^ 


INDEX.  711 

PAGE. 

Womb,  displacement  of 648 

Womb,  displacements  of,  general  treatment  for 655 

Womb,  inflammation  of 638 

Women,  diseases  of 553 

Women,  diseases  of,  general  remarks 553 

Worms  in  infants,  symptoms  and  causes  of 92 

Worms  in  infants,  treatment  for '........ 93 


youth,  urinary  troubles  in,  treatment  of IOI 


v.       r  , 


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Return  this  material  to  the  library 

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WP120 
W5l8m 

West,  John  D 

Maidenhood  and  motherhood., 


MEDICAL  SCIENCES  LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA,  IRVINE 

IRVINE,  CALIFORNIA  92664 


• 


1970  01662  2935 


